tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26318322368455727742024-03-13T05:25:37.464-07:00The Green MongerGreen blogger, vegetarian, artist, photographer, hula hooper, and nature loving human posting about Health, Wellness, Green Living, Sustainability and Eco-Consciousness.The Green Mongerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04027715674283070612noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2631832236845572774.post-47862736199783777312016-06-01T22:04:00.000-07:002016-06-01T22:26:05.816-07:00Veg Option Allies and Advocates - Vegetarian Food Festival NYC<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<b>Nicole Eisenberg</b> has been a <b>vegan</b> <b>advocate</b> for seven years. Realizing how <b>difficult</b> it could be for those with a <b>plant-based</b> lifestyle to have conversations with <b>omnivores</b>, she founded <b>Veg Option Allies & Advocates</b> (VOAA).<br />
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VOAA aims to knock down walls between
vegans and non-vegans by joining them together to break bread at delicious <b>events</b> to respectfully <b>engage</b> in conversation.</div>
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Hear more about VOAA and upcoming events from Nicole at the <b>Vegetarian Food Festival</b> in NYC.</div>
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<a href="http://www.voaa.org/" target="_blank">http://www.voaa.org</a></div>
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Social Media @vegallies </div>
The Green Mongerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04027715674283070612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2631832236845572774.post-21411499995156469042016-05-18T21:40:00.004-07:002018-09-09T14:47:27.678-07:00Save Marine Life and Reduce Plastic Waste with Beer<div style="text-align: justify;">
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Reducing our plastic consumption and finding new, innovative materials to make many pre-existing items out is the way to go. One thing that doesn't need to exist, and definitely doesn't need to be made out of plastic is canned six pack rings.<br />
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While it doesn't stop it from being eaten, as a kid I was always told to <b>cut the rings</b> with a scissor to prevent animals from getting stuck. People put emphasize on ocean creatures getting stuck in the rings, and forget that local wildlife are affected by our trash habits too. Birds, squirrels, cats, raccoons, possums and chipmunks are more likely to hurt themselves on trash that has made its way on to the city pavement. I once chased a street cat 2 blocks to try to remove a plastic bag handle from around its neck. Since most folk aren't in the habit of cutting or disposing their trash consciously, redesigning or getting rid of certain packaging altogether seems like a good idea.<br />
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The best design I could come up with to reinvent six pack rings was a sturdy cardboard, but I didn't like the idea of using paper because recycled paper or cardboards made from biodegradable materials are hard to get in large quantities because they go on backorder. Finding direct sources and working together would be a solution, but scarcity on recycled materials is another story for another day.<br />
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<b>The Saltwater Brewery</b>, on the other hand, has the materials on call. Saltwater found a way to use brewery waste to make <b>edible</b>, <b>biodegradable</b> and <b>compostable</b> six pack rings. The sturdy beverage holders are made from the leftover barely and wheat remnants from the brewing process. </div>
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<a href="https://vimeo.com/165947724">Saltwater Brewery "Edible Six Pack Rings"</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user31557120">We Believers</a></div>
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That's damned neat. Clever design will save the world. When you are creating an item that is useful for you or your business out of the waste you are making, that ties everything up pretty well. How can other big companies follow this example of creating a more sustainable model with what they have, or can easily resource?</div>
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I work at a restaurant where we get soda deliveries. San Pellegrino seem to be slowly rolling out their 6 pack of 6 packs with less plastic. Instead of each 6 pack being shrink wrapped, they are now in a cardboard box. That also means no plastic ring to hold the cans in place. At least the cardboard is recyclable and more biodegradable. It is a step up. Have to appreciate the baby steps. They are better than nothing.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Why is this important?</span></b></div>
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Out of the<b> 200 billion pounds</b> of plastic consumed yearly by humans, <b>10% of it ends up in the ocean</b>. 90% of garbage in the ocean is plastic. This garbage circulates and <a href="http://www.5gyres.org/" target="_blank"><b>accumulates in our ocean's gyres</b></a> creating garbage patches the size of small counties. This causes many ecological disturbances, including the most obvious one of being a danger to marine life.<br />
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An estimated 1 million sea birds, and 100 thousand sea mammals and turtles become entrapped or ingest plastic mistaken as food and <b>die</b>. It sounds like a pretty awful way to go out. Just a quick internet search of "seals stuck in trash" will smash you in the feels when you see their little suffering faces. I don't know about you, but bringing <b>sickness</b>, suffering or death to any creature that relies on humans to keep their backyard clean is pretty shitty.</div>
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<b style="text-align: center;"> <a href="http://greenmonger.blogspot.com/2015/04/cruise-ships-and-excessive-water-pollution.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Cruise Ships and Excessive Water Pollution</span></a></b></div>
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In addition, plastics in the water absorb floating <b>chemicals</b>, which are attracted to the plastics' oil base. These chemicals are widely known as persistent organic pollutants which <b>never break down into the environment</b>. These include insecticides, fungicides, pesticides, industrial waste toxins, PCBs, coolant, lubricants and more. Aside from slowly poisoning the water of the oceans that we need for life to thrive on this planet, we also ingest the poisons that were consumed and absorbed in our seafood when it is eaten.</div>
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The Green Mongerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04027715674283070612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2631832236845572774.post-90455057665531805722016-05-14T11:00:00.000-07:002016-05-22T22:09:06.947-07:00Guerrilla Wearfare Pro-Veg Clothing - Green Festival NYC<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Trying to share information about the impact eating <b>vegetarian</b>, <b>vegan</b>, or <b>less meat</b> in general has on the <b>body</b>, <b>mind</b>, <b>environment</b> and <b>economy</b> is no easy task. Vegheads are usually met with sighs, eye-rolling and complaints about their food choices being respected.</div>
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Fortunately, <b>pictures</b> are worth a thousand words, and <b>Christopher Baez</b> of <b>Guerrilla</b> <b>Wearfare</b> has brought his message down to street level with thought provoking tees for every day wear. </div>
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<a href="http://www.guerrillawearfare.org/" target="_blank"><b>GuerrillaWearfare.org</b></a></div>
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The Green Mongerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04027715674283070612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2631832236845572774.post-85803960238625785262016-05-12T15:57:00.001-07:002016-05-22T17:13:56.387-07:00Amphora Indoor Hydroponics Planter by Cloud Farms - Green Festival NYC<div class="separator" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;">
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I <b>love</b> gardening, but living in an apartment in Queens, NY, options are limited. I made the main window area in the front of my apartment a sun room, full of house plants some some edible plants I have growing in containers. My <b>basil</b> is doing great, and I've grown several more plants from cuttings of it. I also have an <b>avocado</b> tree growing from a pit, and <b>pineapple</b> from the scrap top of one that I ate one time.</div>
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While I adore picking off basil to eat <b>fresh</b> in my recipes, or dry out to save for later, I could live without all the dirt. Especially since I seem to get <b>spider mites</b> on the edible plants. I found them hiding out in the dirt during the winter. I've changed the dirt and cleaned the plants which did help, but all it takes is one hiding out somewhere to find its way back. I just need to dump everything and start again, but getting some hydroponics in my apartment would definitely stop them from hiding out inside the soil.</div>
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The <b>Amphora</b> by <b>Cloud Farms</b> is an <b>indoor</b>, <b>hydroponics</b>, "vase" that grows herbs <b>without</b> the use of soil. It holds enough water for the life time of your plant, so it never needs to be watered, which is great for conservation and efficiency. And laziness and forgetfulness, let's be real. Up to <b>8 plants</b> can be grown with a single kit, for about a years worth of herby goodness. For more about Amphora, check out my video below with it's inventor, <b>Bradley Ferrada</b> at the <b>Green Festival</b> in NYC.</div>
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Amphora</div>
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<a href="http://www.cloudfarms.com/" target="_blank">Cloud-Farms.com </a></div>
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The Green Mongerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04027715674283070612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2631832236845572774.post-91855399983882458202016-05-10T13:14:00.000-07:002016-05-10T14:20:15.681-07:00Twig Terrariums at the Philadelphia Flower Show<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have always loved <b>Terrariums</b>! Mini, self sustaining eco-systems inside of glass that remind us of the <b>interconnections</b> of life, and our part as humans in maintaining that system. Applying that to the bigger picture of the Earth's environment, just leave shit alone and stop messing with it so much, it knows what it's doing.<br />
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Plus, terrariums are <b>miniature</b> worlds, and who doesn't love a good tiny thing? <b>Twig Terrariums</b> from <b>Brooklyn, NY</b> do just that, creating small worlds you can hold in your hands.</div>
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<b>Katy Maslow</b>, co-founder of Twig, invited me to the <b>Philadelphia Flower Show</b> at the <b>Pennsylvania Convention Center</b> March 5-13th where they were exhibiting. I took the time to do a quick video with them in all the hub bub, so come dive into the tiny world of Twig. </div>
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<b>TWIG</b><br />
287 3rd Avenue
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<br />The Green Mongerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04027715674283070612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2631832236845572774.post-41052003600189646072016-03-16T13:08:00.000-07:002016-03-16T16:19:36.060-07:00The Philadelphia Flower Show - March 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I couldn't turn down a last minute invitation from <b>Twig Terrariums</b> to visit the <b>Philadelphia Flower Show</b> last weekend. I do love me some nature of all sorts. I went down on <b>Friday March 11th</b> and was able to snap some pictures and soak in some flowery atmosphere. Had a really nice day! Check out the <b><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/greenmonger/sets/72157665801645442" target="_blank">Flickr Set</a></b>.</div>
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I will say this, it was more artsy fartsy than I thought it would be. A lot of abstract arrangements and things of that sort, plus a LOT of home decor. There were a few vendors selling actual gardening supplies, but not many. I have not been to previous years, so I am not sure of the vibe it usually has. Did anyone else go to the Flower Show? How did you enjoy it.</div>
<br />The Green Mongerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04027715674283070612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2631832236845572774.post-6821951129568269842016-03-15T14:19:00.000-07:002016-03-15T15:31:23.418-07:00The Florida Everglades are in Terrible Shape<div style="text-align: center;">
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Every day we seem to come across <b>climate change</b> and <b>environmental</b> debates. From what is a hoax, to what there isn't enough proof of to make conclusions about, to <b>politicians</b> favoring <b>corporations</b> and <b>abolishing</b> policies that <b>protect</b> the <b>environment</b>. What does one believe with all the confusing and contradicting information out there?<br />
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While everyone is arguing and trying to dismiss each other, the <b>physical</b> <b>impact</b> of our <b>neglect</b> and <b>poor</b> <b>decisions</b> are right there in our faces and hard to ignore. So, I wonder often, how can we actually BE ignoring these things?<br />
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<b>Florida</b> is having the <b>worst</b> tourist season EVER due to <b>water</b> <b>pollution</b> from ongoing <b>discharges</b> including <b>poisonous</b> fertilizers going into <b>Lake</b> <b>Okeechobee</b> to the <b>St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers</b>.</div>
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Fingers for the pollution are being pointed at <b>U.S. Sugar Corp.</b> and its owner, the <b>Charles Stewart Mott Foundation</b> because pollution from the sugar fields runs off into the local bodies of water. What is also interesting, is that the Mott Foundation is headquartered in <b>Flint Michigan</b>. Not sure if the company is also are connected to any of the issue in Flint, but if so, it is safe to say the Mott Foundation is <b>not</b> a <b>responsible</b> or <b>eco-conscious</b>. Other pollution that contributes to threatening the Everglades is <b><a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/how-you-can-help-save-the-everglades">mercury</a></b>.</div>
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Tourism and economic decline is not the only problem <b>Florida's Everglades</b> face. In the Everglades, <b>Alligators</b> are <b>starving</b> to a point of skin and bones. In addition to being emaciated to <b>80%</b> of their normal weight, they are also growing <b>smaller</b> and at <b>slower</b> rates. At age 10, the alligators are about <b>two feet smaller</b> than they should be at 4-5 feet instead of 6-7. This is alarming to ecologists as Alligators are an <b>indicator species</b> of the Everglades. This means their health is reflective of the <b>health</b> of the watershed's ecosystem. <b>Human activity</b> is largely blamed for altering the area's waterflow and contributing to limiting the alligators' food supply. <br />
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<img border="0" height="369" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tndfcD7novU/Vuh47sh9kVI/AAAAAAAAA1w/U6Qu0fvjZvAm52cl6YpL6PO5jWT234VTg/s640/before_after_gator.png" width="640" /><i>Healthier Alligator on the Left - Current Emaciated Situation on the Right</i></center>
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Alligators are just one of the many species in danger in the Everglades. It's poster-child and the symbol of this wild, vast ecosystem is the <b>Florida panther</b>. It is the most <b>endangered</b> species in the Everglades, with only about <b>100 remaining</b> in the wild. It feeds on deer and mammals, but with food being disrupted, the number remaining in the wild will drastically drop. Looking at the following photo of the sagging skin Panther (taken by Mossy Oaks), I would say that their food supply is already in <b>danger</b>.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YANkDEVILs4/Vuh7PiotgbI/AAAAAAAAA2A/mQsN-skQ9IkMXKPkjST9aqpYilN6YYwWQ/s1600/panther-mossy-oak.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YANkDEVILs4/Vuh7PiotgbI/AAAAAAAAA2A/mQsN-skQ9IkMXKPkjST9aqpYilN6YYwWQ/s400/panther-mossy-oak.jpg" width="400" /></a>The Everglades are the <b>largest</b> <b>remaining</b> <b>subtropical</b> wilderness in the lower 48 states, and are home to <b>56 endangered</b> or <b>threatened</b> species which is <b>dwindling</b> or has <b>vanished</b> completely with <b>human activity</b>. The region also draws 1.6 million annual visitors, which has steadily been declining as previously mentioned due to pollution.<br />
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Human activity in the Everglades started as early as the 1800's when canals to drain water started to be dug. Activity continued into the future on a larger scale, and in the late 1940's <b>The Central and Southern Florida Project</b> went into effect. The Projects goal was to provide flood protection and fresh water to South Florida. The task was successful, allowing more people to live on the land and increasing the population from thousands to millions, but it caused the ecosystem a lot of <b>damage</b> in the process.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-otOWuhHyRRk/VuhtAqwh11I/AAAAAAAAA1Q/sviDnky0LVwvoCC4nF2oNFyfivpIqxJRw/s1600/everglades-half.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-otOWuhHyRRk/VuhtAqwh11I/AAAAAAAAA1Q/sviDnky0LVwvoCC4nF2oNFyfivpIqxJRw/s320/everglades-half.png" width="320" /></a></div>
The canals that have been dug into the land vastly <b>interrupted</b> the Everglades <b>natural</b> sheet flow with fresh water being washed out to sea. With<b> water crisis's</b> popping up all over the world, it is important that we are in control of as much fresh water as possible. Not only does this lost water not benefit any humans, but it washes the food of local wild life out into the ocean to die. With at least <b>33% of Floridians</b> relying on the watershed for drinking water, shouldn't more of it be available?<br />
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Today, the Everglades are about <b>half</b> of its original size, and that is cause for <b>alarm</b>. The <a href="http://www.evergladesrestoration.gov/content/what_is.html">Worlds Largest Environmental Restoration</a> project has been happening in the Everglades, and is about to reach its midpoint. Expert opinion is that if the 30 year restoration project was effective, wildlife such as the starving Alligators would be in thriving and in better shape at its midpoint, but that is certainly not the case.<br />
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We are not useless humans who just need to witness these <b>terrible</b> things happening while we shrug our shoulders feeling helpless. When you feel you have nothing to contribute, <b>philanthropy</b> is a good way to help those who are already putting in the physical work it takes to make a difference. There are several foundations out there that are dedicated to helping the Everglades. One good one is <b><a href="http://www.evergladesfoundation.org/" target="_blank">The Everglades Foundation.</a></b><br />
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Signing <b>petitions</b> that benefit the Everglades are also simple somethings that can be done. Maybe some feel it is a stretch that a bunch of signatures can <b>change</b> anything, but when it takes such little effort to do, and the possible payoff is so much, isn't it worth a <b>try</b>? <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.change.org/p/rick-scott-stop-the-lake-okeechobee-discharges-into-the-st-lucie-river-and-estuaries">Stop Big Sugar Discharges</a> </div>
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<b>Other Links of Interest:</b><br />
<br />
Nature Conservatory - Protecting the Everglades <br />
<a href="http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/florida/placesweprotect/everglades.xml">http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/florida/placesweprotect/everglades.xml</a><br />
<br />
National Wildlife Federation - What We Do To Protect The Everglades<br />
<a href="https://www.nwf.org/What-We-Do/Protect-Habitat/Waters/Everglades.aspx">https://www.nwf.org/What-We-Do/Protect-Habitat/Waters/Everglades.aspx</a><br />
<br />
Sierra Club - Big Sugar Summit<br />
<a href="http://www.sierraclub.org/florida/big-sugar-summit-follow">http://www.sierraclub.org/florida/big-sugar-summit-follow </a><br />
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<b>Other Resources:</b><br />
<br />
Earth Justice - South Floridas Tourist Season from Hell<br />
<a href="http://earthjustice.org/blog/2016-february/south-florida-s-tourist-season-from-hell">http://earthjustice.org/blog/2016-february/south-florida-s-tourist-season-from-hell</a><br />
<br />
Nature World News - Alligators Starve in the Everglades<br />
<a href="http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/20131/20160222/alligators-starve-florida-everglades-indicating-ecosystem-poor-health.htm">http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/20131/20160222/alligators-starve-florida-everglades-indicating-ecosystem-poor-health.htm </a><br />
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The Green Mongerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04027715674283070612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2631832236845572774.post-1152647525969443582016-02-16T13:19:00.000-08:002016-04-11T18:26:39.343-07:00Sweet and Spicy Cauliflower Karaage with Scallion Pancakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I
love the reduced produce section of my supermarket. I always end up
with a ton of something random for really cheap. This time it was
cauliflower. I had JUST finished watching an episode of Shokugeki no
Soma where there was a karaage competition, and I was inspired!</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NKSbFzGlCYI/VsONNML8HcI/AAAAAAAAA0E/Skszc8wVzmc/s1600/cauliflowerkaraange.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NKSbFzGlCYI/VsONNML8HcI/AAAAAAAAA0E/Skszc8wVzmc/s640/cauliflowerkaraange.png" width="640" /></a> </div>
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<a name='more'></a>If there is something you will notice about my "recipes" here, it is that they are completely on the fly with no measurements. Everything is adjusted to my own personal taste. Making food is an art, and sometimes you just need to feel it.<br />
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<u><i><b>CAULIFLOWER KARAAGE</b></i></u></div>
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<br /></div>
<b>You Will Need:</b><br />
Cauliflower chunks (Can also use paneer or tofu)<br />
Gluten Free flour mix (I actually used Bob's Mills biscuit mix)<br />
Water<br />
Oil for frying (I use coconut)<br />
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<b>Marinade:</b></div>
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Apple chunks</div>
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Orange juice and some zest</div>
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Apricot Jelly </div>
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Fresh Ginger</div>
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Pepper</div>
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Cayanne powder </div>
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Garam Masala powder</div>
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Fresh Onion</div>
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<i>(The following ingredients help make a mock soy sauce. I have an allergy. You can just use soy sauce, but I recommend not omitting the ginger and garlic powder)</i></div>
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Balsamic Vinegar</div>
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Ginger Powder</div>
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Onion Powder</div>
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Garlic Powder </div>
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Molasses</div>
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Salt</div>
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Put all the ingredients in a blender with a bit of water if needed. Once liquefied, heat on a very low flame until the liquids start to simmer off, and it becomes thicker. Turn off the flame, and let cool. Pour over cauliflower chunks. Let marinate for at least an hour. </div>
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Get your wok, or whatever you use for frying that will give you a decent depth of oil. Quarter inch should be fine. Get it nice and hot on a medium heat. </div>
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Have your flour in a bowl for coating the cauliflower. You can flavor the flour with anything you wish, such as some more garam masala, ginger powder, etc. Get creative! Make a few plain ones and taste before you decide. </div>
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Roll or shake up the cauliflower pieces in the flour mixture. Let the cauliflower drip a bit first so its not so wet before you roll it. Once coated, fry them up!</div>
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If there are any small bits of broken cauliflower, you can still use it. Just mix them in the flour mixture, and squeeze them together with your hand. It will stick together, and you can fry it like that! </div>
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You're done, son! They are ready to eat, or you can dip them in the leftover marinade, or any duck sauce, hot sauce or whateva packets you have lying around. I made the mistake of covering them in the sauce before eating, and the crispy coating soggified. I suppose they could have been put in the broiler to crisp up the outside again, but I just wanted to eat. They sure were tasty! </div>
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Oh what, you want to know about those scallion pancakes too? My game is getting stronger with them things. They are not official, flaky scallion pancakes, but they are quick, tasty and get the job done. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<u><i><b>SCALLION PANCAKES</b></i></u></div>
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<b>You will Need:</b></div>
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Gluten free flour mix</div>
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Fine rice flour</div>
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Onion powder</div>
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Chopped fresh Scallions</div>
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Salt</div>
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Water</div>
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Oil for frying</div>
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Mix everything together. Use a higher ratio of gluten free flour to rice flour, because the rice flour gets too gummy. Use the water to make the batter relatively thin. It depends on you though, if you want thicker pancakes, go for it!</div>
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The oil in the pan doesnt need to be deep, but it needs to be more than just coated. Make your pancakes like you would a regular pancake. As big as you want! How cooked up or crisp you want them is up to you.</div>
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I ate my pancakes with a quick stirfry made from mixed vegetables and leftover sauce from the kaarage. Good stuff!</div>
The Green Mongerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04027715674283070612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2631832236845572774.post-59948618767967210952015-12-22T07:52:00.000-08:002015-12-22T07:52:25.951-08:00Dear Future Generations - Stand for TreesDear Future Generations,<br />
Sorry...<br />
<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/eRLJscAlk1M/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eRLJscAlk1M?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
This is a well thought out, heart felt, amazing watch.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.standfortrees.org/" target="_blank">http://www.standfortrees.org</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.princeea.com/" target="_blank">http://www.princeea.com/</a></div>
The Green Mongerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04027715674283070612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2631832236845572774.post-37635699809039056852015-12-22T07:23:00.000-08:002015-12-22T07:23:53.512-08:00Super Cool Solar Powered Wheel Removes Trash from Bodies of Water<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tSKjmkyuvDo/VnlpNzJ4FHI/AAAAAAAAAzc/BiggGJP-qGw/s1600/CWW4RIsXAAAGjZq.png" /> </div>
<br />
This is pretty great. <b>Baltimore</b> has installed the world’s first permanent water wheel <b>trash interceptor</b> to clean up the city’s polluted Inner Harbor.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
The wheel is not only runs on <b>solar</b> <b>power</b>, and energy from <b>water</b> <b>turbines</b>, but has removed over <b>350</b> <b>tons</b> of <b>garbage</b> in the year and a half it has been running so far. This includes over 80,000 plastic bottles, 90,000 foam containers, 36,000 plastic
shopping bags, 66,000 snack bags, and 4 million cigarette butts were
removed. For the $750,000 price tag on the machine, that is a good deal.<br />
<br />
Here in <b>New York</b> we spend double that or more on art installations and annoying Stadiums that do nothing to benefit the local economy, creates no extra jobs, and upsets the businesses around it. Now if only we could get a few of these water wheels to place in our slimy and <b>disgusting</b> <b>New York water ways</b>, like the <b>East</b> <b>River</b> and The <b>Hudson</b>, it would be amazing. New York City boasts being the greatest (and even greenest) city in the World, yet our focus is so far from having a clean and safe landscape for residents and tourists a like. I don't know about you, but I don't want to visit dirty city, I already live in one!<br />
<br />
There is so much technology out there that New York City could be utilizing to clean the air and water. What is even more important, is not getting them dirty in the first place. I'm still waiting for police to stop writing out tickets for jay walking, spitting, and recreational marijuana use, and more tickets for LITTERING. See how fast people stop doing it. Give a hoot, man. Give a hoot.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Check out more about the neato water wheel in Baltimore</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://ecowatch.com/2015/12/17/solar-powered-water-wheel/">http://ecowatch.com/2015/12/17/solar-powered-water-wheel/</a></div>
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<br />The Green Mongerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04027715674283070612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2631832236845572774.post-3082549016505204762015-08-14T18:55:00.000-07:002015-12-22T07:27:11.817-08:00Plant Based Cool Chocolate Mint Cake Topped with Pudding and Strawberries<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rs6AA9frxoY/Vc6Z2J_be6I/AAAAAAAAAw8/84tAZUdjMqg/s1600/chocolate-mint-cake-pudding2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rs6AA9frxoY/Vc6Z2J_be6I/AAAAAAAAAw8/84tAZUdjMqg/s400/chocolate-mint-cake-pudding2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
When I want treats, I just mix things together in the kitchen. I'm no chef, and I <b>don'</b>t do measurements. I've just cooked enough in my life to know what amounts sorta work, what causes issues, how textures and thicknesses of batters are supposed to be, etc. So if you are new to baking, or meticulous about measurements, you will hate me. </div>
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But if you are an experienced, <b>clean eating</b>, and <b>plant-based</b> kind of person, the experiments I do around here will give you some ideas. One day I will get more organized for a cookbook, until then, meh.</div>
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<br /></div>
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This <b>chocolate,</b> <b>peppermint</b> <b>gluten-free, soy-free, corn-free, egg-free, dairy-free</b>, <b>oil-free</b> and <b>sugar-free</b> cake with a <b>coconut cream pudding</b> and <b>fresh strawberries</b> was such a wonderful summer goodie. It actually would have been better if the mint was put in the pudding, and not baked in with the cake, but still tasty. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cake</b></span></div>
<ul>
<li>Sorghum ground into flour (thanks, Vitamix)</li>
<li>Old Fashioned Oats ground into flour</li>
<li>Some Bobs Mills Gluten Free all purpose flour mix</li>
<li>Cocoa Powder </li>
<li>Baking powder</li>
<li>Ground Flax Seed</li>
<li>Sprinkle of Psyllium Husk </li>
<li>Dried Dates</li>
<li>Vanilla</li>
<li>Water</li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Mix all the dry stuff. Put water and dates (as many for as sweet you want the cake) into the blender and liquify it up something fierce. Do only as much water as you need to get it going. Dont over do it, because you might end up making the finished batter too watery, and sometimes adding more flour makes it suck, or you'll end up with more cake than you want. Mix the wet and dry together. Should be the normal cake batter consistency. </div>
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If you don't deal with dates, or cant get any, you can of course substitute with coconut sugar, honey, maple, agave, or whatever sweetener makes you happy. </div>
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Bake that cake at about 250-300 degrees until its done. Press it down, put a toothpick in it. You know the drill. While that's baking, make your pudding.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Pudding Topping</b></span></div>
<ul>
<li>Coconut Cream</li>
<li>Cocoa Powder</li>
<li>Psyllium Husk</li>
<li>Dried Dates</li>
<li>Vanilla or optional flavor extract - peppermint, almond, orange, coffee, etc. </li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Put everything in a blender until smooth. Can replace cocoa powder with peanut butter, maca powder something else that suits your fancy, or nothing. </div>
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<br /></div>
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When the cake is done, let it completely cool before puttin' on the puddin'. Seriously, it will melt and be crappy. I put my cake in the fridge when it was half cool to get cold before attempting to top it off. </div>
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Pour the pudding on your cooled cake, top with strawberries, fruit, sprinkles or whatever makes you happy, and put it in the fridge until the pudding firms up. This cake is realllly good right out of the fridge. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PYpBrwNH0BM/Vc6Z18PmBII/AAAAAAAAAw4/Wd5SKbaiKSE/s1600/chocolate-mint-cake-pudding1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="628" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PYpBrwNH0BM/Vc6Z18PmBII/AAAAAAAAAw4/Wd5SKbaiKSE/s640/chocolate-mint-cake-pudding1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
The Green Mongerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04027715674283070612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2631832236845572774.post-57069639515237104242015-04-15T08:51:00.002-07:002015-08-15T09:23:37.816-07:00Cruise Ships and Excessive Water Pollution<div style="text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kXlo-6TBMjM/VS6INUuLR3I/AAAAAAAAAuY/vE21iyWFBSs/s1600/cruise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kXlo-6TBMjM/VS6INUuLR3I/AAAAAAAAAuY/vE21iyWFBSs/s1600/cruise.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="attribution-info">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/34022876@N06/" target="_blank">kansasphoto </a>/ <u><a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/" target="_blank"><span id="goog_195316613">CC BY 2.0</span></a></u><br />
<div class="view follow-view clear-float photo-attribution" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429112528066_59940">
<span class="relationship">
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If you thought peeing in the ocean was kind of of gross, imagine the <b>cruise ship industry</b> dumping about <b>3.8 BILLION tons</b> of <b>raw bodily fluids</b> into the ocean every year, the majority of it untreated. <b>Poop</b>, <b>pee</b>, <b>vomit</b>, feminine hygiene stuff. I'm talking the whole lot here, my friends. The whole <b>nasty </b>lot.</div>
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The idea that billions of tons of <b>crap </b>is floating around in the ocean doesn't exactly make me want to take a trip to the beach, or enjoy
some wild caught fish that could be <b>sick </b>or <b>contaminated </b>any time soon. <b>Gross </b>factor is not the biggest issue here though. The vacationers waste that is flushed into the ocean by these "luxury floating toilets" <b>directly harm</b> whales, dolphins, other marine life, while <b>destroying </b>the <b>fragile </b>ecosystems within the waters.<br />
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But it's water, and the crap gets, you know, watered down right? Ehhhh, not really. Our oceans are <b>wonderful filters</b> in theory. Not only do they have the capability to filter themselves, but they also filter the air. Considering our <b>air pollution</b>, and the fact that we are deforesting the land (trees are another great air filter) it's a good thing we have the oceans to back us up. Different fish, crustaceans, algae, plankton and the salt all <b>work together</b> with other factors to keep everything in tip-top shape. The only problem is all of these human introduced pollutants such as <b>sewage</b>, <b>oil spills</b> (60 million gallons a year), and all of our <b>plastic trash</b> (90% of ocean pollution is plastic) breaking down in the water prohibits the ocean from doing it's job.<br />
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We call out of work, school or events when we are sick because we know we won't be the best we can be production-wise, and need to get better. Unfortunately for the oceans, as long as we keep bombarding them with junk, they are denied this important <b>healing </b>time. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y9e30Qb5s6Y/VS6HptAwGgI/AAAAAAAAAuQ/HmdwdCtRfu4/s1600/beachpollution.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y9e30Qb5s6Y/VS6HptAwGgI/AAAAAAAAAuQ/HmdwdCtRfu4/s1600/beachpollution.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/epsos/" target="_blank">EpSos.de</a> / <u><a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/" target="_blank"><span id="goog_195316613">CC BY 2.0</span><span id="goog_195316614"></span></a></u></td></tr>
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As far as the cruise ship problem, it isn't only sewage. Cruise ship waste includes waste water from showers, sinks, laundries, gray water, gallons of <b>chemicals </b>from photo processing, paint, dry cleaning, ballast water bearing <b>pathogens </b>and invasive species from foreign ports, <b>garbage</b>, solid <b>waste</b>, and of course, air pollution from the ships diesel engine at a level equivalent to thousands of automobiles on the road. One ship dumps this into the ocean every day.<br />
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Instead of cleaning up their act, and finding other ways to dispose of waste (or innovating a greener way to make less waste), cruise ship companies are more interested in profits. Being lax with environmental concerns and shrugging off sustainability helps maximize those profits.</div>
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Why are ships allowed to do this? If it is such a pollutant, and pretty gross, shouldn't something like this be <b>illegal</b>? Cruise lines aren't subject to the same waste water regulations that govern municipalities of similar size. Under the <b>Clean Water Act</b>, cities must treat their waste, and limit the pollution they discharge. The discharge is also monitored from sewage treatment facilities. Do cruise ships have to obtain the Clean Water Act discharge permits? Nope. The bit of regulations that are in place are not completely enforced. Pretty much like the "no smoking in public parks" implemented in NYC recently. It is the Parks Department's job to enforce it, NOT the NYPD, and I haven't seen the Parks Department around to give out any tickets. </div>
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<a href="http://action.foe.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=16824" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="http://action.foe.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=16824" border="0" height="250" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZZQf8dr33zU/VS6GJouiv9I/AAAAAAAAAuE/_y8ywxdkPnM/s1600/CarnivalFB.jpg" width="250" /></a>So with vacation season coming up, what can us mere mortals do to<b> make a difference</b>? As consumers, we <b>vote with our dollars</b>. Naturally, not booking your vacation with a wasteful cruise ship company is one way to go. Check out this <a href="http://www.foe.org/cruise-report-card" target="_blank">Cruise Line Report Card</a> to see which cruise lines are the lousy or the most conscious.<br />
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While many readers of this page are <b>green savvy consumers</b>, the average folk looking to take a vacation may not be aware. The <b>SumOfUs Organization</b> has started a fundraiser to bring awareness to the cruise ship pollutant issue to the average vacationer by launching a major ad campaign on travel planning websites. Ad space is surprisingly cost efficient, and even a donation of one dollar will help SumOfUs reach the goal. With advertisements calling out certain companies on their <b>corporate irresponsibility</b>, the goal is that vacationers will turn to more sustainable, and less reckless cruise lines. </div>
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In addition to supporting more efficient cruise lines, the advertisements will place <b>enormous pressure </b>on the <b>major polluters</b> to clean up their act, and that is desperately what the oceans (and we!) need. In the bigger picture, this campaign may lead to the strengthening of monitoring, inspection, and improve waste management enforcement and air quality control. Even further still, it could lead to research and development of more sustainable cruise ship designs which aren't invasive to the oceans ecosystems</div>
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SumOfUs' goal is to raise 50,000 to launch the major ad campaign. If 50,000 people donated a dollar, they're done! 25,000 donating 2 bucks it not a lot of people, nor a lot of money. Let's make this happen! </div>
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<a href="https://action.sumofus.org/a/cruise_sewage/" target="_blank">DONATE A BUCK </a></div>
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<b>Further Reading:</b></div>
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<li><a href="http://act.sumofus.org/go/7595?t=5&akid=10201.5471158.mquzXY" target="_blank">2014 Cruise Ship Report Card,</a> Friends of the Earth </li>
<li><a href="http://act.sumofus.org/go/8440?t=6&akid=10201.5471158.mquzXY" target="_blank">Cruise Control: A Report on How Cruise Ships Affect the Marine Environment</a>, Ocean Conservancy </li>
<li><a href="http://act.sumofus.org/go/8441?t=7&akid=10201.5471158.mquzXY" target="_blank">Murky waters: the hidden environmental impacts of your cruise</a>, The Guardian </li>
<li><a href="http://act.sumofus.org/go/8442?t=8&akid=10201.5471158.mquzXY" target="_blank">Cruise ships dump billions of gallons of sewage into the ocean every year</a>, Quartz, December 2014</li>
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The Green Mongerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04027715674283070612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2631832236845572774.post-55632499599582639852015-04-02T15:53:00.000-07:002015-04-02T15:53:48.782-07:00Gluten Free, Soy Free Asian Dumplings and Noodles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I never spend time cooking for just myself. Seems like a whole lot of time wasted just to eat. Eh, I don't need to impress myself with a fancy meal. If it can't get thrown together in less than 10 minutes or be put in a slow cooker, I don't want it.</div>
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However, after I saw a recipe for <b>gluten free dumpling skins</b> from Girl With Spoons official website, I had to get busy! I am not gluten intolerant, just a little sensitive to it, so I try to save my gluten for certain meals I must have and can't make good enough gluten free.<br />
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Since I haven't spent much time prepping foods lately, this was a pain in the ass, let me tell you. My dumplings kinda sucked. I needed supervision for sure. They kept falling apart during prep. Although I was very careful not to make them thin, the dough was still very delicate. I also was missing one ingredient, which I probably really
needed to either keep the whole thing together better, or at least have a better tasting and textured finished product.
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When finished, they were a little too gummy and oily. I'm not a big fried foods fan anymore, really but boiling them alone was no bueno. They probably wouldn't seem as oily to the average person, but a fairly clean eater like me was less impressed. All in all, they were still pretty tasty dipped in the sauce!
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3HJFsBLhwRs/VR223EqPBxI/AAAAAAAAArc/RWSex8yJ0WM/s1600/dumplings1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3HJFsBLhwRs/VR223EqPBxI/AAAAAAAAArc/RWSex8yJ0WM/s1600/dumplings1.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a>The rest of my meal is made from zucchini and carrot with scallions, radish, ginger and cilantro. I have a julienne peeler that I used to make noodles from the zucchini and carrots. A quick stir fry with the rest of the vegetables with some of the <b>soy free sauce</b> I made, and oooh yeah!</div>
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If you are a less lazy chef than me, you will have more success with the <b>gluten free dumpling skins</b>. Can also be used for eggrolls! Get the recipe from <a href="http://www.girlwithspoon.com/2014/03/gluten-free-asian-dumplings-wrappers.html" target="_blank"><b>Girl With Spoon</b>.</a></div>
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As for the <b>soy sauce facsimile</b>, I used <b><a href="http://thehonoursystem.com/2013/09/16/faux-soy-sauce-soy-gluten-free/" target="_blank">THIS</a></b> recipe from The Honour System. Yeah, it was the first hit on google. Whatever. But it was not bad at all! The recipe is not vegan or vegetarian though. In place of the called for chicken stock, I used salted water with nutritional yeast. It gave it a similar stock flavor, more or less.<br />
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A soy and/or gluten intolerance doesn't mean you have to be asian food-less. That is just no way to live!</div>
The Green Mongerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04027715674283070612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2631832236845572774.post-19427143684841445972015-03-16T19:13:00.000-07:002019-08-28T11:31:09.217-07:00Kickin' Creamy Raw Carrot Pasta Sauce<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3eEtozbArLE/VQdi6-io43I/AAAAAAAAAh4/dQ7gXBFCrXM/s640/blogger-image-251031400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3eEtozbArLE/VQdi6-io43I/AAAAAAAAAh4/dQ7gXBFCrXM/s320/blogger-image-251031400.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fresh baby carrots</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cashews (sunflower seeds work well too if allergies are an issue)</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hemp seed powder (why not?)</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Garlic powder</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Black pepper</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cayenne pepper (omit if you don't want your pasta kickin'!)</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Made this dinner tonight with scraps of veggies that need to get used. If you have a<span style="color: #0000ee;"> </span>Vitamix, or another decent blender or food processor, there a ridiculous amount of creative sauces just waiting to happen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This particular one is made from:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Note: Some nutritional yeast will make this a cheesy cream sauce! I also should have omitted a bit of salt and also used my kelp powder, which I seem to neglect. Kelp is a great source of iodine.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Carrots can also be replaced with squash, or canned pumpkin. Try that with sage. Or try tomatoes with basil for a creamy tomato based sauce.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The process is simple. Throw the carrots into the blender with enough water to make a puree. Add the nuts or seeds to make it creamy.</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You should probably give the nuts a s</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">oak. Several hours, to over-night. So</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">aked nuts blend smoother, and are better for digestion. <span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.4px;">Phytic acid is found in nuts, grains and legumes. Soaking nuts breaks down the phytic acid so it can be absorbed properly an</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.4px;">d not bind</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px;"> to minerals in the gastrointestinal tract. Too </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px;">many </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px;">bound minerals can lead to mineral deficiencies. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px;">Nuts also have high amounts of enzymes inhibitors, so soaking helps them be more digestible in that sense as well.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Put the Vitamix on high to "cook" the carrots a bit. The warming feature is my favorite thing about this blender. It's </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">great for making warm to hot</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> soups and sauces under 118 degrees F without </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">heating away the nutrients and enzymes gained in many f</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">resh ingredients.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Once the carrots are warm, season to taste. Blend it a little bit more, and then pour it on pasta, or zoodles, or whatever makes you happy. </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stir in whatever chopped veggies float your boat or goes with your particular sauce mix. I used fresh baby spinach and tomatoes for this one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So get rid of those wilting carrots for dinner this week and other veggies you've been procrastinating on eating. If you made some crazy, but delicious concoction, I wanna know.</span></div>
The Green Mongerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04027715674283070612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2631832236845572774.post-7312811226811230592014-09-26T11:24:00.001-07:002015-04-14T16:38:09.095-07:00Calculate & Offset Your Carbon Footprint!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hwa-5aCmx5A/VCRmUVdZc5I/AAAAAAAAAfY/JUtpvdyrjSw/s1600/CALCOFFSETCARBON.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hwa-5aCmx5A/VCRmUVdZc5I/AAAAAAAAAfY/JUtpvdyrjSw/s1600/CALCOFFSETCARBON.png" height="250" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Climate</b> <b>change</b>, <b>global</b> <b>warming</b>, <b>carbon</b> <b>emissions</b>, <b>carbon</b> <b>footprint</b> and a whole bunch of other words you've probably heard people mention when worrying about the <b>environment</b>. What the heck is a carbon footprint, why does it <b>need</b> to be <b>reduced</b>, and how does one go about doing that, anyway?</div>
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Simply put, a carbon footprint of individuals, businesses, systems or other organizations is measured by its total emissions of <b>greenhouse gas</b>. The greenhouse gas total of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) emissions are measured by using a <a href="http://www.ghgprotocol.org/calculation-tools" target="_blank">GHG emissions assessment</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_accounting" target="_blank">carbon accounting</a>. </div>
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For example, an individuals footprint would be calculated by the appliances and electricity usage in their home, heating/cooling methods, water usage, type of food consumed, shopping practices / products bought, waste management, and transportation usage. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-05AcGunWV78/VCWs1YFzw5I/AAAAAAAAAfk/ob9clHT2dLY/s1600/3280739522_c1f8001000_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-05AcGunWV78/VCWs1YFzw5I/AAAAAAAAAfk/ob9clHT2dLY/s1600/3280739522_c1f8001000_z.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="center"><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><i>Paper Mill</i></b><span style="display: inline-block; padding-left: 2px;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="display: inline-block; padding-left: 2px;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/billy_wilson/" target="_blank">Billy Wilson</a> / <span style="display: inline;">CC BY-NC 2.0</span></span></span></td></tr>
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Once the general footprint is known, and what areas are carbon intensive, strategies to reduce it can be brainstormed and put into action. These actions can include changing bulbs, appliances, switching to more eco-friendly products, using less gas fueled transportation / carpooling, eating less meat, shopping local, and of course, recycling and composting all available waste.<br />
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<i>(Related Green Monger Article - <a href="http://greenmonger.blogspot.com/2014/09/Global-Impact-Climate-Change.html">Global Impact of Climate Change</a>) </i></div>
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<b>Carbon Offsetting</b> lets you give back to the Earth the things in your carbon footprint you cant reduce fully. By making a donation to a specific cause that reflects your footprint, such as reforestation, litter pickup, eco-friendly building, etc, it helps you "break even" with your carbon emission. For example, if one of your activities only has a carbon emission of 480 pounds a year, helping 10 trees get planted would offset that emission. This is because one tree absorbs as much as 48 pounds of carbon per year.</div>
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While that is a very simple example (your emissions will be much more than that), check out these calculators and offset options to get an idea of how much pollution you produce, and the methods you can use to offset it.</div>
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><b>FREE CARBON CALCULATORS</b><b> AND OFFSETTERS</b></span></div>
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<b>The Nature Conservancy</b></div>
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<i>Calculate your Carbon Footprint for a year, and offset it with a donation to different causes.</i></div>
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<a href="http://www.nature.org/greenliving/carboncalculator/" target="_blank">http://www.nature.org/greenliving/carboncalculator/ </a></div>
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<b>CarbonStory</b></div>
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<i>Carbon calculator for an individual or household. Also offset carbon emissions by making a small contribution to different eco projects around the globe.</i><b> </b></div>
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<a href="https://www.carbonstory.org/" target="_blank">https://www.carbonstory.org/</a></div>
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<b>Berkeley University's CoolClimate Network</b></div>
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<i>Their calculator measures a households use to a small business.</i></div>
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<a href="http://coolclimate.berkeley.edu/business-calculator" target="_blank">http://coolclimate.berkeley.edu/business-calculator</a></div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_footprint#cite_note-10"></a><br />
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The Green Mongerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04027715674283070612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2631832236845572774.post-16115032251804770412014-09-18T20:10:00.000-07:002014-09-19T12:53:58.977-07:00Help Plant A Million Trees in NYC<br />
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I have been seeing the <b>Million Trees NYC</b> efforts all around my neighborhood for a while now. It started with TD Bank putting advertisements up on their windows, and participating in events around New York City. I spotted TD Bank at <b>The Worlds Fair Anniversary</b> in <b>Flushing</b> <b>Meadow</b> <b>Park</b> in <b>Queens</b> with this awesome nature habitat inside of a truck. If you took a tour of the truck, you would get a cool, million trees reusable shopping bag. The line was ginormous, so I sadly did not get to see the truck, or get the nifty bag. Reusable shopping bags are my jam. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>TD Bank Tree Trailer - Worlds Fair Anniversary, Queens NY</b><br />
The Green Monger</td></tr>
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Then I started seeing trees actually being planted around the neighborhood, and spots drawn on the sidewalk to mark out where future trees were going to be planted.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Million Trees NYC Sidewalk Decal</b><br />
The Green Monger</td></tr>
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Spots were also marked with this green nifty <b>"Im New"</b> decal to let people know what was going on. I'm really excited to see these empty sidewalk spaces get filled up with trees, because there sure are a lot of them drawn out around the neighborhood! </div>
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My block in particular needs more trees for many reasons. There are a lot of different birds and squirrels around my neighborhood that visit my window bird feeder. I always worry about them and hope that they have safe places to go home to. More trees means more homes for urban <b>wildlife</b>.</div>
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Another benefit of more trees on my block would be some protection from the planes that fly over us as they land at LaGuardia Airport. I've been congested with sinus issues ever since I moved here almost 20 years ago. Between the busy bus route in front of my house, to the planes, my block sure could use trees to help my neighbors and I <b>breathe</b> a lot easier. My block has three trees. Three! It's like a desert with a few baby trees sprinkled around.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>New Tree Coming Soon! Along with Three More Within 30 Feet</b><br />
The Green Monger</td></tr>
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Aside from creating<b> wildlife habitats</b>, and <b>filtering</b> <b>pollution</b>, trees have a lot of benefits to the rest of the <b>environment</b>, the city's <b>economy</b> and has a positive effect on <b>social</b> <b>conditions</b>.<br />
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<a href="http://milliontreesnyc.org/html/about/forest.shtml" target="_blank">SOME BENEFITS OF PLANTING TREES</a></div>
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That inspires me to green up my naked looking block. So it's lucky for me that Million Trees NYC has a spot where citizens can go to request a tree! If you think your block could use some greenery, or if the park up the block needs one for the kids, let them know! <a href="http://www.nycgovparks.org/services/forestry/request" target="_blank">Submit a Forestry Request</a> with the New York Parks Department. </div>
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<a href="http://www.nycgovparks.org/services/forestry/request" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.nycgovparks.org/services/forestry/request" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QwEOq85LekY/VBt6E0i_9yI/AAAAAAAAAdM/J-sma9Adxwc/s1600/forestry.png" /></a></div>
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I'm going to request more trees on Northern Blvd. in Queens. Man, that street needs trees. The summers are brutal with heat and car exhaust. The sun just beats down on the pavement and it is unbearable. Some trees would provide shade, cool off the area and filter out some of the pollution. The heat and heavy buses on the black top, warp the street. They would save so much money and headache on repairing such a high traffic boulevard. I actually have a design to green up Northern Blvd in my perfect world, but I'm not very good at conceptual art.</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DpfwtdmXTTw/VBuIrt5qsGI/AAAAAAAAAdk/QB6oqDgwtHU/s1600/takehomeatree.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DpfwtdmXTTw/VBuIrt5qsGI/AAAAAAAAAdk/QB6oqDgwtHU/s1600/takehomeatree.png" /></a>If you have your own home, you may even pick up a tree for free and do some landscaping yourself. There are several pick-up locations around Manhattan. Many of them are within the next two weeks, so get your trees before the weather gets too cold. You will even be taught how to properly plant your tree making the whole experience easy peasy.<br />
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<a href="https://www.nyrp.org/green-spaces/tree-giveaway" target="_blank">TAKE HOME A FREE TREE</a></div>
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For everyone else who is crammed into a New York City apartment and has no use for a free tree, you can still get your hands dirty and help Million Trees NYC in a bunch of ways. For one, you could register to help <b>PLANT</b> the actual trees in locations around NYC. How cool is that?</div>
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<a href="http://www.milliontreesnyc.org/html/plant/plant.shtml" target="_blank">REGISTER FOR A TREE PLANTING EVENT</a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IEWIgTUZ_M8/VBtp3hwovkI/AAAAAAAAAb8/_fMOXiP1klg/s1600/Screen%2Bshot%2B2011-04-05%2Bat%2B7.19.07%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IEWIgTUZ_M8/VBtp3hwovkI/AAAAAAAAAb8/_fMOXiP1klg/s1600/Screen%2Bshot%2B2011-04-05%2Bat%2B7.19.07%2BPM.png" height="320" width="240" /></a>With over 5 million trees in NYC and counting, they need care to make sure they grow well and get everything they need to live in harmony with humans. You can <b>adopt a tree</b> in your area by finding one on the map that needs some extra love and attention. Trees in need of urgent care are marked red. Be a tree steward! When you register to adopt a tree in your neighborhood, you get a <b>free watering kit</b> and official <b>Volunteer Card</b>. Neat!</div>
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<a href="http://www.milliontreesnyc.org/html/care/tree.shtml" target="_blank">ADOPT A TREE</a></div>
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Maybe youre not the hands-on type, but you still want to help. No problemo, you can <b>send</b> <b>a</b> <b>donation</b> to Million Trees NYC and help the community get the dirty work done. You could do this in two ways, by making a purchase of some cool Million Trees NYC clothing and accessories, or making a monetary donation to Natural Areas Conservancy which helps plant trees on streets and parks, and keeps New York City’s natural places vibrant and beautiful. Have you hugged a tree today?</div>
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<a href="http://www.milliontreesnyc.org/html/donate/donate.shtml" target="_blank">SHOP MILLION TREES NYC</a> </div>
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<a href="http://naturalareasnyc.org/donate" target="_blank">DONATE TO NATURAL AREAS CONSERVANCY</a></div>
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However you decide to help get more trees in New York City, the benefits are plentiful! </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p_2yfE6Q-5k/VBuczMwvSCI/AAAAAAAAAd4/WdIDOMOTSa4/s1600/2.million.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p_2yfE6Q-5k/VBuczMwvSCI/AAAAAAAAAd4/WdIDOMOTSa4/s1600/2.million.jpg" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p_2yfE6Q-5k/VBuczMwvSCI/AAAAAAAAAd4/WdIDOMOTSa4/s1600/2.million.jpg" height="320" width="219" /></a> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MkXTcIQuN6s/VBuczOBa1hI/AAAAAAAAAd0/OyeYxhEkJgk/s1600/3-Balloon_905.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MkXTcIQuN6s/VBuczOBa1hI/AAAAAAAAAd0/OyeYxhEkJgk/s1600/3-Balloon_905.jpg" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MkXTcIQuN6s/VBuczOBa1hI/AAAAAAAAAd0/OyeYxhEkJgk/s1600/3-Balloon_905.jpg" height="320" width="207" /></a></div>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-IEWIgTUZ_M8%2FVBtp3hwovkI%2FAAAAAAAAAb8%2F_fMOXiP1klg%2Fs1600%2FScreen%252Bshot%252B2011-04-05%252Bat%252B7.19.07%252BPM.png&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IEWIgTUZ_M8/VBtp3hwovkI/AAAAAAAAAb8/_fMOXiP1klg/s1600/Screen%2Bshot%2B2011-04-05%2Bat%2B7.19.07%2BPM.png" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-DpfwtdmXTTw%2FVBuIrt5qsGI%2FAAAAAAAAAdk%2FQB6oqDgwtHU%2Fs1600%2Ftakehomeatree.png&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DpfwtdmXTTw/VBuIrt5qsGI/AAAAAAAAAdk/QB6oqDgwtHU/s1600/takehomeatree.png" -->The Green Mongerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04027715674283070612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2631832236845572774.post-75608034447901212072014-09-18T01:30:00.000-07:002014-09-24T19:39:35.683-07:00Global Impact of Climate Change<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/asiandevelopmentbank/" target="_blank">Asian Development Bank</a> / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0</td></tr>
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Scientists, politicians, and everyone in between have been debating <b>climate change</b> for the last few decades. All this back and forth leaves citizens playing monkey in the middle and scratching their heads trying to figure out what's-what.</div>
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Scientific, research, evidence, and some good old fashioned observation will show you that the weather is changing around the world. Climate change is natural, and has been occurring on the Earth for billions of years. More recently though, as industrialization, and the population of humans on this planet increases, so does the acceleration of climate change, and negative ecological situations in general. With so much unsustainable activity going on, the atmosphere is getting an <b>overdose of gas emissions</b> which are already causing trouble to our delicate eco-system. Talk about fanning the flames.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class=" meta-field photo-title " id="yui_3_16_0_rc_1_1_1410913996156_18524">Food Hit By Climate Change</span></b><br />
<span class=" meta-field photo-title " id="yui_3_16_0_rc_1_1_1410913996156_18524"> <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/oxfam/" target="_blank">Oxfam</a> / </span>CC BY-NC-ND 2.0</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class=" meta-field photo-title " id="yui_3_16_0_rc_1_1_1410913996156_18524"></span><br /></td></tr>
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Climate change isn't simply about places getting warmer or colder. A change in weather at an accelerated speed will cause serious, irreparable damage to the planet and everything on it. Even slightly warmer weather will melt glaciers, ice caps, uncover new species which may become invasive, cause sea levels to rise further, and coastal areas and cities to flood.<br />
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It is up to society to keep global average warming temperature less than 2 degrees C above pre-industrial levels. If we continue our way of life with business as usual, the warming temperature will exceed 2 degrees C, and we wont be able to come back. Already merging over the globe are <b>droughts</b>, <b>loss of crops</b>, <b>species</b>, <b>famine</b>, <b>wild fire</b>, and extreme weather conditions such as <b>tsunamis</b>, <b>hurricanes</b>, and <b>twisters.</b><br />
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Also terrifying, are the erupting <b>volcanoes</b>. As the planet heats up, volcanoes erupt to vent out excess heat. 2013 marked a record number of volcano eruptions, and scientists are especially frightened about the activity of the Super Volcano at <b>Yosemite</b>! It scares me too. I wanted to buy an Earthship in New Mexico, but now I want to avoid that portion of the United States altogether. Especially with the problems the west coast faces with Fukushima. Meh. Regardless, even here in New York, I will face some kind of trouble if Yosemite's volcano blows it's top. If the eruption is really bad, it could take out the whole United States and nearby land masses. Between volcano aftermaths, rising sea levels, and choking pollution, NYC isn't the best city to be during climate change!<br />
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We don't just deserve to survive on this planet. We deserve to thrive in a fresh environment that provides our needs. Let's take a look at some of the leading causes of CO2 emissions, and think about the active solutions we can provide and execute on a daily basis to reduce our individual footprint, as well as the footprint our communities, our cities, and ultimately the planet.</div>
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<b> <u>Some</u> Methane and CO2 Emission Culprits:</b></div>
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<b>LIVESTOCK AND AGRICULTURE</b></div>
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One of the lesser known, but major causes of pollution is the commercial farming industry. The U.S. food system contributes nearly 20 percent
of the nation's carbon dioxide emissions. Globally, figures
from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) say that
agricultural land use contributes to 12% of global greenhouse gas
emissions.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Factory Farm Feed Lot</b><br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sraproject/" target="_blank">Socially Responsible Agriculture Project</a> / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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I also want to note that cow farts actually put more methane into the air than you may realize! A lot of waste from excrement, urine and otherwise from the farms create waste lagoons, and there is only so much to do with all of it. We should probably get scientists working on making poop fuel. We have that stuff coming out of every human and animal on the planet. Am I right?</div>
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When factoring in the manufacturing and use of all the things that go into
industrial farming such as pesticides, fertilizers,
fuel and oil for tractors, equipment, trucking, shipping, lighting,
cooling, and heating... it actually raises the impact from 20% to 25-30% of the United
States' carbon footprint. Yowza.</div>
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Switching from conventional to organic agriculture can remove from the air and sequester 7,000 pounds
of carbon dioxide per acre per year. When done properly organic farming can increase crop yields and save water to boot. </div>
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You
can help reduce your negative contribution to the agriculture industry by buying produce from local farmers
markets, or shops that carry local goods. Reducing and sourcing your
meat, dairy, and egg intake from these vendors also has positive impact on your health. <br />
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<i>(Related Green Monger Article - <a href="http://greenmonger.blogspot.com/2014/09/12-reasons-to-shop-and-eat-local.html" target="_blank">Reasons To Eat Local</a>)</i></div>
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<b>COAL</b></div>
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The global power sector generates around 40% of all global electricity from coal.<b> </b>According to the International Energy Agency the power sector is
responsible for 37% of all man-made Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions. It
creates about 23 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions per year! With a bit more than
700 tonnes a second. This pollution does not include the power plant waste that contaminates local water sources.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/48722974@N07/" target="_blank">eutrophication&hypoxia</a> / CC BY 2.0
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Some alternatives to coal are geothermal energy, solar, wind, hydro, and methane. Methane can be extracted from our abundant source of landfills, and cow farts. I know that sounds funny, but with all the methane gas the agriculture business releases, might as well put it to good use! These are only the basic alternatives, but new exciting ways to produce energy are surfacing every day. We no longer have to turn to one source for all our energy needs. </div>
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Fracking has been <a href="https://secure3.convio.net/fww/site/Advocacy;jsessionid=96EB259A810FDA57C33535B41D38BE58.app340a?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=1400&autologin=true" target="_blank">presented by the EPA</a> as a solution to global warming and coal, as the oil and gas industry advocates switching to natural gas. Truth is that burning fracked gas does next to nothing for global warming, and halts the progression of safer alternatives. Gas fracking causes leaks of the greenhouse gas methane, which
offset the carbon dioxide reductions that come from switching off coal. So basically we are just jumping from one sinking ship to the other. These methane gas leaks contaminate ground water, and rivers. Fracking also is not sustainable as it creates toxic cesspools of as a waste product which there is no place to dispose of, causing further sickness and contamination. </div>
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<b>TRANSPORTATION</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Air Pollution in Dehli</b><br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jepoirrier/" target="_blank">J. E. Poirrier</a> / CC BY-SA 2.0</td></tr>
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32% of total U.S. CO2 emissions and 27% of total U.S. <span style="margin-top: 10px;">greenhouse gas</span> emissions in 2012 were produced from burning gasoline in cars, trucks, and aircraft. This may include boats, but the reference did not say. To cut back on gas emissions from
transportation, you can carpool, take public transportation, ride a bike, and make your next car purchase more fuel-efficient, or hybrid. </div>
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The consequences of our lifestyles and systems are starting to nip at us. The time for change is yesterday.<br />
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Climate change can be a really involved subject which I know I can't get to in one blog post, so I created a suggested watching playlist on my YouTube channel to fill you in more thoroughly. Videos range from starters to more involved. Have any suggestions for the playlist? Please leave a comment below, or<a href="https://www.facebook.com/messages/134065956722662" target="_blank"> send me a message</a> on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/thegreenmonger" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.<br />
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<b>CONSTRUCTION WORK</b><br />
The construction industry accounts for an estimated 5% of global carbon emissions. In the United States alone, the construction industry made up 1.7% of all the nations greenhouse gas emissions in 2002. The top carbon emitter in the construction industry is cement. Cement, the main ingredient in concrete, is in the ground and architecture all around us. Concrete is only second to the most consumed substance on Earth, water.<br />
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Cement production is growing by 2.5% annually, and a rise to 3.7-4.4 billion tons (about double the current use) is expected by 2015. Kilns that are used in cement production which run on fossil fuels, can be about 40-50% of a cement producers total carbon footprint. Replacing fossil
fuels with a waste-derived, or bio fuel would significantly reduce carbon emissions.<br />
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Eco-friendly design and construction is not only important to get the most stand alone efficiency, but also out of the materials as well. Forgoing traditional cement completely for other options such as hempcrete, would also make a big difference as it is a more sustainable, lightweight, stronger, breathable, AND carbon negative. Lime, the binding agent in hemp, also doesn't need to be heated up as hot as it would for concrete, saving time and emissions. Other benefits to hempcrete are a 30-40% less lumber used in framing, lower transportation costs, lower finishing costs, reduced HVAC requirements, and no termite fumigation needed after the build. One home can save over 90 tons of carbon when being built from Hempcrete.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLr6R-2dw1-7lSVNxJab7an8nfMrMBfOHm" width="640"></iframe>
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Regardless of the great Climate Change debate, I think we all can agree
that we have too much damned pollution, and waste of all kinds. Its time to adapt to more sustainable practices and humane sourcing of renewable materials. You might just save the planet from a few angles.<br />
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<i>RESOURCES: </i></div>
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<b>How Much C02 is Created By...:</b></div>
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<a href="http://visualization.geblogs.com/visualization/co2/">http://visualization.geblogs.com/visualization/co2/</a></div>
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<b>Meat Production Wastes Natural Resources</b><br />
<a href="http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/meat-wastes-natural-resources/">http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/meat-wastes-natural-resources/</a><br />
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<b>How Factory Farms Effect The Environment</b><br />
<a href="https://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-factory-farms-and-environment" target="_blank">https://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-factory-farms-and-environment </a><br />
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<b>Climate Scenarios:</b></div>
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<a href="http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/how-many-gigatons-of-co2/">http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/how-many-gigatons-of-co2/</a> </div>
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<b>6 Ways Agriculture Impacts Global Warming:</b></div>
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<a href="http://www.treehugger.com/green-food/6-ways-agriculture-impacts-global-warming.html">http://www.treehugger.com/green-food/6-ways-agriculture-impacts-global-warming.html</a></div>
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<b>Climate Change Causes:</b></div>
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<a href="http://climate.nasa.gov/causes/">http://climate.nasa.gov/causes/</a></div>
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<b>2013 Marks Record Number Volcano Eruptions</b><br />
<a href="http://theextinctionprotocol.wordpress.com/2013/12/05/2013-marks-record-year-for-the-number-of-volcanoes-erupting-across-the-planet/">http://theextinctionprotocol.wordpress.com/2013/12/05/2013-marks-record-year-for-the-number-of-volcanoes-erupting-across-the-planet/</a><br />
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<b>Reducing Green Gas Emissions in the Construction Industry</b><br />
<a href="http://www.epa.gov/sectors/pdf/construction-sector-report.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.epa.gov/sectors/pdf/construction-sector-report.pdf </a><br />
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<b>The Amazing Hempcrete</b><br />
<a href="http://www.ecocitizenaustralia.com.au/the-amazing-hempcrete/" target="_blank">http://www.ecocitizenaustralia.com.au/the-amazing-hempcrete/ </a></div>
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<a href="http://www.peoplesclimate.org/" target="_blank"><img alt="www.peoplesclimate.org" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XCPlC_a_X14/VBodQpjFpbI/AAAAAAAAAaI/n8Uv4Ry9Kt4/s1600/PCM-BANNER.png" /></a></div>
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The Green Mongerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04027715674283070612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2631832236845572774.post-79175539868995196342014-09-17T13:16:00.001-07:002014-09-17T14:10:07.396-07:0012 Reasons To Shop and Eat Local<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="http://greenmonger.blogspot.com/2014/09/12-reasons-to-shop-and-eat-local.html"><img alt="http://greenmonger.blogspot.com/2014/09/12-reasons-to-shop-and-eat-local.html" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o6uagPCIU60/VBnb4e_OKlI/AAAAAAAAAYI/m7SPReKKmnc/s1600/12reasons2.png" height="204" width="640" /></a></div>
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Local, small business shopping and eating is important to the growth and expansion of our communities and cities. The benefits of local shopping impact health, economics, the environment and your community as a whole. Even doing a portion of your shopping and eating at local, non-franchise businesses can show change in your neighborhood and the surrounding areas.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="attribution-info">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/independentwestand/" target="_blank">Independent We Stand</a> / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0<br />
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<b>1. Invests in Your Community</b></div>
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You've probably visited your old neighborhood to discover that all the Mom and Pop shops you went to as kid are dead and gone, with Starbucks and McDonalds standing in their places.<br />
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While having the original shops there are nostalgic, if they are to stay open, they must be shopped at.<br />
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Giving your money to a small business helps them stay open. Whenever you opt for Starbucks over a (cheaper) coffee from your local bakery, you invest in the corporation, and not the individual people of your community and their business. By investing in your neighbors, you invest in yourself.</div>
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<b>2. Money Stays Local</b></div>
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Local business are likely to spend their money locally, which keeps money circulating within the community and supports the local economy. Chain restaurants only return about 30% of the money they earn to the local economy, while many small, local eateries spend their money local to buy fresh ingredients from farmers markets, delis and butchers and can put as much as 79% back into the communities economy.</div>
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Money spent at corporate franchises and many places online go to the corporations and vendors overseas.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IznbcE35Hus/VBnl0nKTLuI/AAAAAAAAAYs/O5yiY5_rPKo/s1600/jacksonheightsmarket2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IznbcE35Hus/VBnl0nKTLuI/AAAAAAAAAYs/O5yiY5_rPKo/s1600/jacksonheightsmarket2.jpg" height="246" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Union Square Green Market, NYC</b><br />
The Green Monger</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<b>3. Health and Environmental Benefits</b></div>
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Locally farmed and bought food hold more health benefits, as they are usually picked more fresh, ripe and bursting with nutrients. Farmers markets sell many items that were picked within the last 24 hours. At the farmers market, you get a hands-on opportunity to talk to the farmer about how the food is produced, if its organic, if they use pesticides, and if they are GMO free. The majority of products at farmers markets, are GMO free with little or no pesticides. </div>
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Buying locally produced food, including meat, dairy and eggs also reduce green house gas emissions as they did not need to travel very far to get to its destination.</div>
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Conventional farming methods cause soil erosion, contamination of soil, air, and water with pesticides and waste, nitrate
loading of waterways and wells, and decline of
biodiversity. Local, organic farms produce less contamination, produce less C02 emissions, and if done properly, can make higher yields and maintain on less water usage.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mmkTODUqqVY/VBnlcjY-bmI/AAAAAAAAAYk/h_4RCJEF03E/s1600/JacksonHeightsMarket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mmkTODUqqVY/VBnlcjY-bmI/AAAAAAAAAYk/h_4RCJEF03E/s1600/JacksonHeightsMarket.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Jackson Heights Green Market, Queens NY</b><br />
The Green Monger</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<b>4. Seasonal Eating</b></div>
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With the fact that Avocados and Papayas can be shipped from other countries all year round, we lose touch with eating seasonally. When we buy fruits and vegetables out of season, not only are they more expensive, less nutritious, and more crappy looking to be blunt. But still, this poor quality fruit is shipped across the ocean pumping pollution into the air and sea. </div>
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Seasonal eating is cheaper, as harvest time brings an abundance of certain fruits and vegetables that local farms can offer at a good price because they go straight from the farm to you! No middle man, yo. </div>
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I also find that you appreciate the cherry, the strawberry, or the peach more when you waited all winter for it and are consuming it at its very local, best!</div>
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<b>5. Self Sufficient Communities</b></div>
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Supporting businesses that grow and produce products locally lessens reliance on needing items to be shipped to us. Buying non-local food and goods promote larger, factory farms that hurt both
the environment and local communities, which may cause the local ones to close down, leaving us vulnerable to food shortages when times start getting rough, or an event happens where food cannot be shipped to us. Supporting local keeps the food supply in the communities hands.</div>
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A community that supports its local shops are more likely to open more independent shops in the area, creating self employment and new job opportunities. Many community members can collaborate on a shop and go into business together.<br />
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<b>6. Puts Your Taxes To Good Use</b><br />
Another part of being self sufficient as a community. Local businesses need
less infrastructure investment and make better use of public services
compared to their franchise counterpart. Local tax dollars support your
neighborhoods infrastructure, roads, the fire and police departments,
schools, libraries and more. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>La Guli Pastry Shop, Astoria NY</b><br />
The Green Monger</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<b>7. Keeps Your Hood Distinct</b></div>
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Independently
owned shops and markets create a unique environment of interesting
places and people with no Radio Shacks, Subways and Bank of America's
plastering the landscape.</div>
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<b>8. Materials Sourced Locally</b></div>
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Many
shops carry goods that are made from locally sourced materials, or made
by people in your community. You can find handmade items that help
boost the lively hood of the people making them.<br />
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<b>9. Won't Buy The Hype</b><br />
Shopping from small businesses ensure that you are purchasing more things that you actually need, and not the hype of having stuff when you go browsing in malls and department stores.</div>
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<b>10. Bargaining and Good Customer Service </b></div>
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In local, small business thrift, gift shops and markets, you may be able to haggle a bit with your merchant and get a very good deal. Sometimes I get free potatoes, or cheaper peaches just for being friendly with the farmers. Franchise have to sell things at the prices they are marked and aren't extremely interested in making fabulous impression with you to keep you as a customer. Many franchise must do things by the book.</div>
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Small business owners are members of your community, and your friends who appreciate your business, and will go out of their way to give you good service, and keep you happy. They stock unique items, and are happy to order things that you request.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="attribution-info" id="yui_3_16_0_rc_1_1_1410981480650_1734">
<b>NYC Hot Dog Vendor</b></div>
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<a class="owner-name truncate" data-rapid_p="55" data-track="attributionNameClick" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/felstone/" title="Go to 5oulscape's photostream">5oulscape</a><span style="display: inline-block; font-size: 14px; padding-left: 2px;"><span style="display: inline; font-size: 12px;"> / CC BY-NC 2.0</span></span></div>
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<b>11. Make Friends and Connections</b><br />
Remember how when we were kids, we knew everyone on the block, and they knew our families? We knew better than to get out of line, because a neighbor could easily take us to our parents. As I get older that sense of community fades every day. Shopping at local small businesses and farmers markets helps build a stronger sense of community and gives you a chance to get to know your neighbors from the merchants, to other customers in the store.<br />
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<b>12. Invests in Non-Profits</b><br />
It is very common for small business owners to invest money into local non-profits and organizations. Money going to your community helps your community grow stronger. From after school programs, workshops, help groups, sponsorship of local sports teams and events.<br />
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<tr align="center"><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pamHQGmkldg/VBnmtF5Y_II/AAAAAAAAAY4/QFfWSW_HjJg/s1600/jacksonheightsmarket3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pamHQGmkldg/VBnmtF5Y_II/AAAAAAAAAY4/QFfWSW_HjJg/s1600/jacksonheightsmarket3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Jackson Heights Green Market, Queens NY</b><br />
The Green Monger</td></tr>
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The best times to shop local are ALWAYS, but some really important times to shop local are during the Holidays. Halloween, Thanksgiving / Black Friday, Christmas, New Years and Valentines day are the holidays that make a lot of money. How fantastic if that money was actually circulating within your community and helping it thrive? Happy Holidays indeed!<br />
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Any other great reasons to shop and eat local? Leave a comment below, or drop a line on Facebook. </div>
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The Green Mongerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04027715674283070612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2631832236845572774.post-69607569657762669842014-06-29T20:38:00.000-07:002016-04-11T18:44:37.746-07:00Awesome Accidental Vegan Instant Pudding<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YLRgA5Q0kkA/U7DafVCkRZI/AAAAAAAAATw/ARfY6PvybsQ/s1600/pudding1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YLRgA5Q0kkA/U7DafVCkRZI/AAAAAAAAATw/ARfY6PvybsQ/s1600/pudding1.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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This creation started after a botched smoothie a few months ago. The Indian markets in my neighborhood have Psyllium Husk, which had a packaging that had always intrigued me. I like old school graphics, and they sold me. I looked up what exactly it was, and it turns out, its pretty damned good for me too, so I picked up a box. </div>
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Psyllium Husk is the husk of the seed of the Plantago herb. It it a good source of fiber, and has a lot of intestinal and colon cleansing benefits. Seemed like a good thing to put into my smoothies, so I made one of my favorites; peanut butter banana rice milk. I sprinkled a bit of the husks and chia seeds in it and Vitamixed it up adding rice milk as necessary until it was slightly less thick than I wanted it to be. Chia seeds tend to soak up moisture and thicken it after it sits. <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nsz8IASu0yI/U7DSdy-BrmI/AAAAAAAAATk/3pAA1Xr7Nr8/s1600/sat_isabgol_psyllium_husk_amj51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nsz8IASu0yI/U7DSdy-BrmI/AAAAAAAAATk/3pAA1Xr7Nr8/s1600/sat_isabgol_psyllium_husk_amj51.jpg" width="170" /></a>Nope. I quickly learned that you add psyllium husks until its about a third of the consistency you want it to be. This is because the psyllium husk absorbs much more moisture than the chia seeds even do, so my smoothie thickened up tremendously. Long story short, my smoothie drink required a spoon and wasn't really awesome at all.</div>
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Even though the smoothie consistency was "passed pudding", and definitely more like toy slime all stuck together, I still knew I was onto something, and set out to make a vegan pudding pie. To my surprise, there was much success! Definitely not toy slime. The great thing about this recipe is you can switch out the chocolate powder for other flavorings.</div>
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You will notice my pattern of non-measurements in my cooking. I just mix and do. Sorry about that! I will try to gauge out about how much I used. For this recipe, you will also need a food processor of some kind (I love my Vitamix) along with:</div>
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<b>PUDDING 1: </b><br />
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<li>Psyllium Husk</li>
<li>Chia Seeds</li>
<li>Cocoa Powder</li>
<li>Milk of your choice </li>
<li>Sweetener (I use dried dates over processed sugar. Use what ya like)</li>
<li>Vanilla, almond, or mint extract (optional)</li>
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<li>I used a can of coconut milk in my blender and reserved the cream on the top of the can as a pudding topping.</li>
<li> Added about 1 tablespoons of chia seeds, and about 2 heaping tablespoons of the psyllium husk seems accurate.</li>
<li> In goes a generous amount of cocoa powder. </li>
<li>I also added a little bit of water too to help the mix chug along better.</li>
<li>I blended it all up adding my dates one at a time to taste. You'd put your extracts in at this point too. </li>
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I blended it good so it would be smooth. Chia and psyllium husk could be grainy and give ya a weird texture while eating it. The Vitamix actually warms up contents if you let it do it's magic, so maybe that helped the pudding texture not be too weird for me.<br />
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<b>PUDDING 2:</b><br />
<i>This one uses less ingredients, has a bit more fat, and is by far, my favorite. If you want to reduce fat, you can mix the two pudding recipes together for something in between, using half as much coconut cream and substituting with another milk or water.</i><br />
<ul>
<li>Trader Joes Coconut CREAM. Not milk.</li>
<li>Cocoa Powder</li>
<li>A little milk or water.</li>
<li>Dried Dates as a sweetener</li>
<li>Vanilla, almond, or mint extract (optional) I always use a drop of vanilla essential oil</li>
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<ol>
<li>Empty the can of coconut cream into the blender, reserving a bit if you want a topping</li>
<li>Add cocoa powder and flavoring </li>
<li>Start blending and add dates to taste until its the right amount of sweet for you.</li>
<li>Put in your extracts. </li>
</ol>
That's it! It was easy peasy. Pour it in whatever you're going to put it in and let it set in the fridge. I put mine in this gluten free crumb crust that was on sale and topped it with the leftover coconut cream. I liked it! On that note though, the crust was pretty sweet, so next time I will opt to use less sweetener in the pudding itself.<br />
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<b>CAN ALSO SWITCH COCOA POWDER FOR:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Maca powder </li>
<li>Vanilla extract</li>
<li>Vanilla and cinnamon</li>
<li>Vanilla and Maple </li>
<li>Maple and cinnamon </li>
<li>Coconut cream and pineapple juice? </li>
<li>Kahlua, Baileys? Hey, why not?</li>
<li>Get creative! </li>
</ul>
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<i>PSYLLIUM HUSK NOTE:</i> If you put too much, you will have something that is stuck together in a blob like slime. If you accidentally put too much, you can still fix it. Return it to the blender with more milk and flavorings to thin it out again. I always try to save things before tossing.<br />
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<i>SERVING NOTE</i>: You can also cut it into squares and freeze it too
for a frozen petit four type thing. You will need to let it sit out for a
few minutes before eating it or you will break your teeth! <br />
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If you give this a try, let me know how your experiment went. <3<br />
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<br />The Green Mongerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04027715674283070612noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2631832236845572774.post-30789189701622284482014-06-18T22:40:00.000-07:002014-09-23T12:48:08.662-07:00Sustainable Wooden Hula Hoop<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zbdFP2lTOp0/U6JqqbBWojI/AAAAAAAAATU/0W9KJCRDxhI/s1600/IMG_5223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zbdFP2lTOp0/U6JqqbBWojI/AAAAAAAAATU/0W9KJCRDxhI/s1600/IMG_5223.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>getting my LED hoop on.</i></td></tr>
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<b>I LOVE hula hooping.</b> I have a small collection of different kinds of hoops. A quick search of "hoop dancing" on YouTube will have you clicking through many awesome, talented people hooping in all different styles. When I hoop, it is a magically special and invigorating feeling. While I am <b>spinning,</b> I feel at one with the universe.<br />
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While hula hoops are great, they clash a bit with my desire to live as eco-friendly and <b>non-toxic </b>as possible. Hula Hoops are made from PVC plastics which are not good for people or the environment during their production and disposal. Plastic is an awesome idea, but it just sucks for the environment. Plastic wastes fossil fuels, and takes takes <b>450 to 1000 years </b>or more to degrade while leaching chemicals into the air, ground and water in the process.<br />
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Much less than 10% of our plastic is recycled. Much of it ends up in the ocean, and the <b>315 billion pounds</b> of plastic soup patches floating in it are a painful karma for our consumption. With the hot sun beaming on it, the plastic breaks down into smaller pieces and goo that are harmful for the water, the marine life and ultimately, us. <br />
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<i>(Related Green Monger Article - <a href="http://greenmonger.blogspot.com/2014/09/Global-Impact-Climate-Change.html">Global Impact of Climate Change</a>)</i></div>
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So, it's safe to say the goal is to use less plastic, give a hoot don't pollute, and find different options for the things we love. How lucky for me then, that at <a href="http://www.r2rhoops.com/" target="_blank"><b>The Return To Roots</b></a> hoop gathering last year, I spoke to <b>Alexandra</b> of the <b><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/VeraMoon" target="_blank">Vera Moon</a></b> shop who is in the process of making the eco-conscious hula hooper's dream come true with her unique, handmade wooden hoops. That's right! <b>Wooden hula hoops</b>. This would go nicely into my hoop collection. What would make me feel more in tune with the Earth than dancing with a tree?</div>
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<i>Other Links</i>:</div>
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Six Reasons Why Plastic Is Bad For The Environment</div>
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https://creeklife.com/blog/six-reasons-why-plastic-is-bad-for-the-environment</div>
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How Much Plastic Is In The Ocean?</div>
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http://news.discovery.com/earth/the-immense-scale-of-ocean-plastics.htm<br />
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The 5 Gyres<br />
http://www.5gyres.com </div>
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The Green Mongerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04027715674283070612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2631832236845572774.post-47534567783222140172014-05-29T13:33:00.000-07:002014-05-29T14:45:33.021-07:00Better Belly, Gut Healing Juice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been feeling all shades of whack since a gluten <b>intolerance</b> has sprung up. The more that I research about gluten and symptoms, the more sense <a href="http://greenmonger.blogspot.com/2014/05/food-is-obdurate-when-youre-intolerant.html" target="_blank">the way I have been feeling</a> makes. </div>
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Gluten seems to be tied in with a bunch of little things, and even cutting it out for the few days that I have so far has me feeling improved. In those that are gluten intolerant, a reaction happens that blocks the absorption of vital nutrients and minerals such as <b>Vitamin B12</b>, <b>Vitamin-D</b>, <b>Calcium</b> and <b>Zinc</b>. As a <b>vegetarian</b> who doesn't eat dairy, these are very important to me as they are the ones I need to go out of my way to make sure I'm getting. If gluten is blocking them from me, it could be responsible for a mess of gunk I've been going through. Plus some vitamins are responsible for the absorption or process of other vitamins, so your body can get deficient in one if you're deficient in the other. SCIENCE!!!</div>
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(Related - <a href="http://www.ion.ac.uk/information/onarchives/maximiseabsorption" target="_blank">Maximum Absorption</a> - <a href="http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/glutenintolerance/a/Gluten-Sensitivity-Symptoms.htm" target="_blank">Gluten Sensitivity Affects & Symptoms</a>)</div>
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I'm no doctor, so after I find out what's going on with the one I chose (who specializes in gastrointestinal stuff) now that I have this forced health care, I'm going to go ask some questions, and find out if I am deficient in anything. I'm not about medications, but knowing what's wrong so I can modify my diet right is the goal. In the meantime, I think my self diagnosis is pretty spot on, and I've been making some changes that have me feeling much better physically and emotionally. </div>
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I'm now eating a <b>whole foods</b>, mostly <b>fresh diet</b>, and went to a Mom and Pop's health food store in my neighborhood for some Vitamin B-12, Calcium/Magnesium/Zinc supplements. I also started being more consistent with the Vitamin C tablets I bought a while ago when I still shopped at Rite Aid. Might as well finish those up and refill with a small, local shop too. I also get great sun in my front room, so I have been taking the time to lay down with my plants *ahem* undressed and soak up some <b>solar powe</b>r. </div>
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I've been doing my best to avoid foods that cause inflammation so anything that needs to be healed can do so unrestricted. Eating things that ease inflammation and aid in <b>digestion</b> is what I am looking for, and what better way to get those things than in <b>juice</b>! Juice is awesome because it is easy to absorb. This morning I made this tasty little number.</div>
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<b><u>Better Belly Juice</u></b><br />
2 organic oranges<br />
2 organic carrots<br />
A chunk of aloe vera.<br />
A spoonful of diatomaceous earth<br />
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<b>Oranges, carrots</b> and <b>aloe vera</b> are good for an amazing amount of things, one of those things being good for <b>digestion</b>. The orange fruits and vegetables in this juice are also good for your <b>sacral chakra</b> (the orange one). You might want to read more about the chakra system and color eating!</div>
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As for <b>diatomaceous earth</b>, I have had it around my kitchen for years (neglected) and it may be the greatest thing you've never heard of. Food grade diatomaceous earth is also called fossil flour, but please don't bake with it. Diatomaceous earth is made up of <b>diatoms</b>, which are one celled algae (<b>phytoplankton</b>) that once lived in oceans and lakes that has since fossilized. The deposits are mined from underwater beds or from <b>ancient</b> dried lake bottoms thousands of years old. This stuff never goes bad, although I hope we never run out. </div>
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It is basically a cure for EVERYTHING. One of the thousand reasons I'm taking it is I've read some bloggers had some success subsiding or curing their intolerant issues. The main thing the diatoms do is scrub your intestines and certain organs clean of junk and lets them do the job they were created to do in tip top shape. This leads to lower cholesterol, better skin, stronger hair, better joints and bones, less inflammation, tissue regeneration, is good for detox and diabetes, removing worms and parasites, and so many more that you can click the link below to see. The list is THAT long.</div>
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(Related - <a href="http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com/defaq.html" target="_blank">Many Uses of Diatomaceous Earth</a>)</div>
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Wish me luck. I had just gotten used to lack of cheese and meat in my diet. Now that bread has been cut out of for the most part, I'm really really <b>hungry</b>.... I need a thick, crusty pizza. </div>
The Green Mongerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04027715674283070612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2631832236845572774.post-35779945009051282732014-05-28T14:20:00.002-07:002014-05-29T14:23:04.394-07:00Why March Against Monsanto? Millions Protest Memorial Day Weekend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>This Memorial Day</b> weekend several million people all around the globe gathered for a worldwide march against multinational chemical, pesticide, herbicide and agricultural biotech company, <b>Monsanto</b>.
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">March Against Monsanto - Union Square, NYC</td></tr>
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Monsanto is known for it's production of <b>Saccharine, Agent Orange, Pesticides, Herbicides </b>and<b> Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)</b>. All of which are associated with various <b>cancers, allergies, intolerances, </b>and<b> chronic illnesses</b>.<br />
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In the case of <b>Agent Orange</b>, diseases and disorders have occurred in <b>Vietnam</b> soldiers who were physically exposed to it, as well as their offspring conceived after the war. In Vietnam, citizens continue to get sick, and <b>birth defects</b> have become the norm land as well.<br />
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(Related - <a href="http://www.nongmoproject.org/learn-more/what-is-gmo/" target="_blank">What is GMO?</a>)</div>
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So why is a <b>chemical company</b> with a less than desirable track record in charge of our food supply? With <b>chronic diseases, illnesses</b> and medical issues on the rise, people are beginning to question their food. How is it made, where does it come from, and is it safe? With all roads leading back to Monsanto, concerned citizens have taken to the streets to <b>ask questions</b>, start <b>discussions</b>, bring <b>awareness</b>, and ultimately come together to grow a <b>safer</b>, <b>healthier</b> <b>world</b> without GMO's, pesticides and harmful chemicals in our environment.<br />
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Many countries in Europe and around the world have restriction laws for GMOs, require <b>labeling</b>, or have banned GMO's outright. While that is the ultimate goal, marchers against Monsanto rallied together for the first step in<b> food freedom</b> and <b>awareness</b> by encouraging a bill to be passed for mandatory labeling of GMO's nationwide.<br />
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(Related - <a href="http://www.gmo-free-regions.org/gmo-free-regions.html" target="_blank">GM Bans & Restrictions in Europe</a> / <a href="http://www.organicconsumers.org/gefood/countrieswithbans.cfm" target="_blank">All Countries & Regions with GM Bans and Restrictions</a>)</div>
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All nutrition, ingredients, and in some cases, the process of certain ingredients are printed on food packaging. Considering that the crops have been <b>scientifically modified</b> from their <b>original</b> state, the public is demanding that they be printed on the label as well. You have the right to know what is in and on your food, and human health activists and marchers against Monsanto are fighting for that right.<br />
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(Related - <a href="http://www.nongmoproject.org/learn-more/what-is-gmo/" target="_blank">Current List of GMO Risk Crops</a>)</div>
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According to Monsanto, a genetically modified farm grows the same exact crop as an organic farm, and is completely safe. While this may or may not be true, Monsanto and it's GMO's carry more with them then just some unnaturally modified DNA. (Aside from 50% less nutrition, that is)<br />
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<b>GMOs Are Not Monitored For Public Safety: </b> No independent, comprehensive, long term study has been carried on GMOs before they were released for human consumption leaving the public to be involuntary test subjects.<br />
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<b>Monsanto Risks Ecological Disaster: </b>Monsanto began genetically modifying seeds to patent and maximize profits by making <b>chemical resistant crops</b> that work in conjunction with their already being produced pesticides and herbicides. As more farmers sign on with Monsanto, more chemicals are being used causing<b> soil infertility</b>, <b>mono-cropping</b>, <b>loss of bio-diversity</b>, <b>habitat</b> <b>destruction</b>, and contributes to the destruction of birds, butterflies and other insects including bee colony collapse (<a href="http://greenmonger.blogspot.com/2014/05/global-march-against-monsanto.html#bees">see below)</a>.<br />
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(Related - <a href="http://www.bt.ucsd.edu/how_bt_work.html" target="_blank">How Bt Toxin Works</a>)</div>
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<b>Monsanto's Pesticides and Herbicides Threaten Human Health:</b> Aside from the threat to wildlife who come in contact with it, humans are eating enough conventionally grown produce (and animals) with Roundup residue on it or Bt toxin in it that it has been found in human blood, breast milk, and fetal blood. There are no "safe levels" when dealing with a fetus, a growing infant and their still forming, delicate systems. Bt Toxin is designed to "pop" open the guts of insects who ingest it, which has many researchers pointing fingers at our food for the rise in gastrointestinal issues in the populous.<br />
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(Related - <a href="http://gmoinside.org/poor-gut-health-and-autism-linked-through-gmos-genetically-modified-organisms/" target="_blank">Poor Gut Health & Autism Linked Through GMOs </a>/ <a href="http://www.thedailysheeple.com/mysterious-deaths-in-alabama-could-they-be-related-toa-monsanos-bt-cotton-crops_052013" target="_blank">Bt Cotton and Respiratory Illness</a>)</div>
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<b>Insects Have Evolved To Tolerate Pesticides:</b> Pests that eat GMOs that produce its own pesticide, like Bt corn and cotton, are evolving and becoming immune to the poison that is supposed to kill them. Nature is clever, and her rootworms have evolved into "superworms", breeding a colony that threatens to tear through the Midwest.<br />
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(Related - <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/09/05/796781/genetically-modified-corn-gives-rise-to-superworms-as-agribusiness-lobbies-against-gmo-labeling/" target="_blank">How Genetically Modified Corn is Creating Superworms</a>)</div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="bees"><b>Bee Colony Collapse:</b></a></div>
While some insects are evolving to withstand the pesticides, the most important pollinating insects are not. Monsantos bottled pesticides, herbicides, and plants that produce their own such as the Bt toxin, are linked with the death of millions of bees worldwide. Bees and butterflies that come in contact with Bt toxin are killed how the toxin is intended to work against other pests.<br />
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(Related - <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/beekeeping/10206225/Radar-antennae-reveal-how-disease-and-pesticides-are-harming-bees-navigation.html" target="_blank">Radar Shows How Pesticides Hurt Bees Navigation</a>)</div>
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<b>GM Crops Cannot Be Contained: </b>Once introduced into the environment, they <b>cannot be 100% recalled</b> or co-exist with organic crops as Monsanto's patented GM crops cross pollinate with organic crops, by wind, wildlife or pollinators.<br />
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<b>Corporate Takeover: </b>Monsanto's patenting of seeds risks our biodiversity, and allows Monsanto to monopolize world seed and food production. Seed patenting risks other farmer's livelihood. When GM crops cross-pollinate with an organic farm, it is now tainted. Getting USDA Organic certification and No-GMO verified is difficult and expensive enough without Monsanto suing them for patent infringement.<br />
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<b>GMOs Aren't Eradicating World Hunger: </b>GM crops do nothing to "end world hunger" as advertised. The majority of modified crops in the U.S are used for <b>animal feed, fuel,</b><b> sugars, </b>and the lesser going to<b> processed foods </b>containing corn/soy<b>.</b> The hungry may eat conventional crops and processed foods from food shares and banks, but their ongoing hunger is not eradicated due to <b>POVERTY</b>. GM crops are known to cause soil infertility, which already is an issue in many starving countries who lack healthy farms and crops. Studies are also starting to show that GM yields are not as high as natural methods when weighed against certain variables.<br />
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(Related - <a href="http://www.gmeducation.org/faqs/p149408-gm-crops-do-not-increase-yield-potential.html" target="_blank">GM Crops Do Not Increase Yield Potential</a>)</div>
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<b>Shady Businessmen:</b> These variables are non-existent to Monsanto who sells false promises to farmers, and practices shady business. In India, for example, after putting their life savings into converting to a contract with Monsanto, over <b>250,000 farmers committed suicide</b> (many by drinking Monsanto's pesticide) after their Bt cotton seeds not only did not perform as promised, but produced worse results than their previous harvests.<br />
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(Related - <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1082559/The-GM-genocide-Thousands-Indian-farmers-committing-suicide-using-genetically-modified-crops.html" target="_blank">The GM Genocide</a>)</div>
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<b>Hard To Trust: </b>Between false promises, and their previous track record on unleashing now known dangerous things upon the public that have been "thoroughly tested", Monsanto suppresses information on GMO dangers and other studies regarding their products not being safe. Important, independent GMO and pesticide studies that make mainstream news are quickly ridiculed, disappear without a trace, or are bought out. Although, it is getting progressively harder to hide these findings, and they are slowly but surely making their way to the less informed public. <br />
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(Related - <a href="http://naturalsociety.com/monsanto-bee-collapse-buys-bee-research-firm/" target="_blank">Monsanto Buys Bee Research Firm After Being Blamed for Bee Colony Collapse</a>)</div>
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<b>Monsanto Has Government Agencies In Their Pocket: </b>With a revolving door in Washington between Monsanto, the FDA and even the EPA, the loyalties of the agencies to the public's health and safety is questionable. Just this year, the EPA created an exemption for residue tolerance levels of GM soy's bt toxin for human consumption and animal feed. This essentially approves of <b>unlimited residues of Bt toxin</b> in all GM foods. Usually, setting maximum residue limits, especially for chemicals in or on food, are one of the EPA's prime responsibilities.<br />
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(Related - <a href="http://ivn.us/2013/02/11/the-revolving-door-fda-and-the-monsanto-company/" target="_blank">The Revolving Door. The FDA and Monsanto</a>)</div>
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<i>"Monsanto <b>should not</b> have to vouchsafe the <b>safety of biotech</b> food. Our interest is in <b>selling</b> as much of it as possible. Assuring its safety is <b>the FDA's job</b>."</i> - Phil Angell, Monsanto's director of corporate communications, quoted in the New York Times, October 25, 1998<br />
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Hmm. So I guess we will leave that one up to <b>Michael R. Taylor</b>, the deputy commissioner of the <b>FDA</b>, and former Monsanto employee. Boy, do I feel safe! Sure feels good to have a non-bias commissioner in charge of protecting me from hazardous chemicals and potential food contamination...<br />
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If I don't stop there, I will go on forever. It is all too much for me to stomach, literally! Monsanto has been creating chemical products for over a century, with the last <b>two decades </b>of the<b> </b>corporate agriculture businesses practicing a fairly <b>Hitler</b> approach to American farming, pwning government regulatory agencies, politicians and the like. Their iron fist goes unchallenged by big food production companies, supermarkets, and most importantly general uninformed public who aren't <b>questioning</b> to learn about their food, and demanding better <b>quality</b>.<br />
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Fortunately, there are enough fed up and passionate people that have heard enough about the biotech industry's contamination of our environment, our food supply, and our health to take a stand for an alternative approach. I myself joined hundreds of people in <b>Union Square, NYC</b> on Saturday to <b>March Against Monsanto</b> in hopes to make the moves to leave a more <b>connected</b>, <b>healthier</b>, and <b>greener</b> world behind for the <b>next generation</b>.<br />
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<span style="clear: left; font-family: inherit; font-size: small; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.burning-spirit.com/greenmonger/dottedline.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.909090995788574px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://www.burning-spirit.com/greenmonger/dottedline.png" /></a></span>The Green Mongerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04027715674283070612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2631832236845572774.post-20061852986102765472014-05-23T12:30:00.000-07:002015-04-14T16:51:46.391-07:00What Foods Are Eating You?<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U40Tt73Gy9A/U3-b-pWY-pI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/TRUWQYRk9Uc/s1600/32175260_17a1662ace_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U40Tt73Gy9A/U3-b-pWY-pI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/TRUWQYRk9Uc/s1600/32175260_17a1662ace_m.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;">photo by<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/michaeltflickrpics/" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/michaeltflickrpics/" target="_blank">mst7022</a> - <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode" target="_blank">CC BY 2.0</a></span></td></tr>
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<b>Eating</b> is something we do every day and sometimes even take for granted. Some of us also have spoiled our taste buds and are so set in our ways that we find it hard, impossible or unnecessary to modify our diets. It is usually for that reason that we don't attribute a new, sick feeling to something we have always eaten in the past. It is possible to get new sensitivities to old foods. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">I am living proof!</a> Cue lactose intolerance, gluten sensitivity, and soy allergy. Really, body?! I can still eat gluten, but I turn into a raging bitch for about three days. Different foods have an effect on our moods, but that is a different post entirely.</div>
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We are all unique with unique bodies and internal plumbing. What is good for you, may not be good for your neighbor. What was good for you yesterday may not be what will be good for you tomorrow. Maybe you have been feeling mucky lately and not sure why. Maybe you feel good, but are not against the idea that it is possible for you to feel even better. Whatever the case, here are some simple things you can do to figure out how to be gentler on your tummy...<br />
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1. <b>Keep a Food Diary. </b></div>
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This is the first and most important step. Writing down what you ate, when you ate it, and notes next to certain foods that were sweet, artificially sweetened, fatty, fried and such.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;">photo by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/epsos/" target="_blank">epsos .de</a> - <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode" target="_blank">CC BY 2.0</a></span></td></tr>
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45-70 minutes after you eat, gauge how you feel. Some things you eat in the evening, may even affect you the next day. (Ice cream for dessert makes my next morning a blast, literally). Write down whether the meal made you feel irritable, sleepy, thirsty, energetic, gassy, crampy, head foggy, etc. </div>
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<b>2. Cut Something Out For a While</b></div>
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Whether it be dairy, meat, eggs or gluten, pick one thing to be free of for about <b>3-4 weeks</b> at a time. I recommend starting with the animal products. Try going dairy-less or meat-less first and mark it down in your food diary. If you want to slowly omit several things at one time, that is your prerogative.</div>
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Aside from animal products and gluten, there are other things to consider. Depending on your symptoms, (if any) check out the <b>FODMAPs</b> method. FODMAPS stands for <b>Fermentable Oligo-, Di- and Mono-saccharides and Polyols</b>. These are small carbohydrate chemicals that are fermented by the normal bacteria living in your gut. The thing is, this fermentation process can cause gas, bloating, cramps and the poops! Oh lordy lord lord, the poops!</div>
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Foods that contain these types of sugars are:</div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">Fructose</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Broccoli, Artichokes and Asparagus</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Apples, Peaches and Pears</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Chickpeas</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Dairy / Lactose</li>
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*Note: Eggs are considered lactose. If you are lactose intolerant, it is very common for eggs to also give you the same reaction.<br />
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<b>3. Eat Smaller Meals More Often</b></div>
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Don't bombard your tummy. It may be a good idea to NOT mix many things that you are planning to cut out in one sitting, or one day. For example, if you are cutting out eggs, having a breakfast of grilled cheese and ham washed down with chocolate milk won't help you nail down who the culprit is if you felt whack after eating it.</div>
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Instead, opting for smaller, less "cluttered" meals gives your digestive system and intestines a break, and you more room to interpret and investigate.<br />
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<b>4. Avoid GMO's</b><br />
Foods that have been genetically modified are beginning to disagree with a lot of people. Genetically modified foods also use more <b>herbicides</b> and <b>pesticides</b>, or produce their own naturally. The top genetically modified organisms are <b>cotton, corn, soy, sugar beets, alfalfa, zucchini, yellow squash</b>, <b>papaya, </b>and<b> aspartame, </b>which is made from genetically modified bacteria and linked to certain cancers and stomach issues. Remember corn includes other products made from corn such as corn starch, canola oil, corn syrup. Sugar (unless specifically labeled cane or palm) is made from sugar beets.<br />
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Non organic <b>meat</b>, <b>eggs</b>, <b>milk</b> and <b>cheese</b> also contain GMO's as genetically modified corn and feed are given to farm animals. There is a <b>higher rate of lethargy, sickness and death</b> among animals that are fed GMO grains over non-GMO. Non organic milk also contains anti-biotics and growth hormones unless otherwise noted on the label. You are what you eat, and you are what your food eats! Try to get organic meat, dairy, and eggs whenever possible. If you are worried about cost, eating less animal products and processed foods during the week puts more money in the budget for higher quality ingredients. I basically live on the reduced produce section of my local supermarkets. For 10 bucks I eat good all week. <br />
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Check ingredient labels thoroughly for all of the aforementioned ingredients. Corn, Soy and Sugar are in MANY processed foods in boxes and cans especially. If your food contains these things, but the label does not specifically say No-GMOs or contain the <b>Non-GMO Project label</b>, then it contains conventional animal products and produce that has been genetically modified from its original state and chemical makeup.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_A2tw9pvU9U/U4JtTlp6HfI/AAAAAAAAANo/yzsM5cZOUO8/s1600/non-gmo-sign.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_A2tw9pvU9U/U4JtTlp6HfI/AAAAAAAAANo/yzsM5cZOUO8/s1600/non-gmo-sign.png" height="317" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo from <a href="http://drleonardcoldwell.com/2013/12/30/gmo-facts/" target="_blank">drleonardcoldwell.com</a> / GMO FACTS</td></tr>
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Get organic whenever possible to reduce your intake of foreign substances. Pesticides and herbicides are beginning to be found in human bodies, as well as in the blood of unborn fetus' and the breast milk of nursing mothers. Conventional fruits and vegetables are treated with these chemicals. This includes fruits and vegetables that are in canned, frozen and package.<br />
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List of <a href="http://www.nongmoproject.org/find-non-gmo/search-participating-products/" target="_blank">Non-GMO Project Verified Products</a></div>
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<b>5. Relax!</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nwPfqIUjUFw/U3-ZYB5eKGI/AAAAAAAAAMI/mO7BzLeOrpw/s1600/BharadvajasanaI_248.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nwPfqIUjUFw/U3-ZYB5eKGI/AAAAAAAAAMI/mO7BzLeOrpw/s1600/BharadvajasanaI_248.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/487" target="_blank">Bharadvaja's Twist </a>- Yoga Journal</span></div>
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Stress has a profound affect on our body from weight gain, to weight loss. From high blood pressure to hair loss. Its all over the place, and just bad juju. Get your meditation and yoga on. There are some <b><a href="http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/finder/anatomical_focus/digestive_organs" target="_blank">Yoga poses</a></b> that actually have some positive effects on your digestive system, so it definitely won't hurt (as long as you aren't trying some crazy advanced contortionist stuff, that is!)<br />
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So there you have it. Isolating certain foods, and playing detective with what I ate and how it made me feel are helping me better understand my body and it's needs. After all, the point of all living things on this planet is to THRIVE. If we are uncomfortable, irritable, gassy, or running to the bathroomy, we are not functioning to the best of our abilities!<br />
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<i>PLEASE NOTE: I am in no means a Doctor. I am a regular person eating my way to good health and sharing things that have worked for me. If you have bad symptoms, and aren't sure if they are an intolerance, or wonder if you have an actual food allergy, it is always wise to contact your primary care physician and look into it.</i><br />
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The Green Mongerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04027715674283070612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2631832236845572774.post-87593388929464585352014-05-02T06:00:00.000-07:002014-09-17T13:21:48.024-07:00Green Festival Keeps On Giving<div class="" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;">
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passed weekend I went to Green Festival in NYC. went there with my video camera and microphone to get some interviews, and shoot some footage for a YouTube channel I'd like to connect to my blog. Unfortunately, my computer isn't handling Final Cut Pro very well, and it will take longer than expected. I hope I don't have the great exhibitors I met waiting too long!</div>
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Otherwise, I spent this week organizing all of the reading materials, coupons, business cards and free samples. There sure was a lot to take in at the festival!</div>
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I only wish that I had more money to bring home a lot more than free samples. Although, not for nothing, those free samples came in very handy this week.<br />
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For instance, the Lifeway booth had given me two blueberry kefir samples which I took home. Kefir is a fermented milk drink made with kefir grain as a yeast/bacterial fermentation starter. Essentially, it is a yogurt drink. I never had kefir before, so it would be something new to me. By the way, this one is also 99.9% lactose free, so that does my crappy stomach good!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yRu0dtcEGNM/U2JK-RaKKTI/AAAAAAAAAKk/9NII_YQMj_M/s1600/10274124_493801087415812_8063095103303451291_n.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yRu0dtcEGNM/U2JK-RaKKTI/AAAAAAAAAKk/9NII_YQMj_M/s1600/10274124_493801087415812_8063095103303451291_n.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
<b>In the Vitamix I combined:</b><br />
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<li>Two samples of <a href="http://lifeway.net/Products/Kefir/LowFatKefir/LowFatBlueberry.aspx" target="_blank">Lifeway Lowfat Blueberry Kefir</a></li>
<li>One sample of <a href="http://manitobaharvest.com/category/13/Hemp-Hearts.html" target="_blank">Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts</a></li>
<li>A few chunks of frozen pears </li>
<li>A dash of chia seed</li>
<li>A bit of bee pollen</li>
<li>A splash of rice milk</li>
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The result? I liked it. I usually stay away from animal milk, especially if it is not a high quality organic (Lifeway makes <a href="http://lifeway.net/Products/OrganicKefir.aspx" target="_blank">organic Kefir</a> too), but to try something new (and free), I'll make an exception.<br />
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I didn't see much of a difference from kefir and drinkable yogurt, so I can just get myself a an organic diary free, or grass fed yogurt in the future and make a drink out of that.<br />
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<br />The Green Mongerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04027715674283070612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2631832236845572774.post-71817425921266390102014-04-26T20:27:00.001-07:002014-04-26T20:35:26.399-07:00Saturday at Green Festival NYC<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">greeted by an awesome rainbow upon exiting the convention</td></tr>
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Day one at the <a href="http://www.greenfestivals.org/" target="_blank"><b>Green Festival</b></a> was great! But just like any day at a convention, I am pooped. With so much to see and so many exhibitors to talk to, I didn't much exercise my right to sit the heck down and relax!<br />
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You know what else I didn't do? Bring the business cards I took all that time making. Doh!</div>
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Either way, it was an amazing day, and I am excited to see so many people out there thinking about the environment and improving the quality of life of others with their creative and conscious products. </div>
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From detergent-less laundry balls, electric "uni-cycle" type segways, books, toiletries and clothing, the place was chock-full of green living innovations. <br />
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One of the most important things we need to live, let alone live green, is food. Everybody eats. And at this event, I have never seen so many eco-friendly and health conscious products in one place. Not to mention, free samples and snacks galore. If you are coming to Green Festival tomorrow, come hungry! You will nosh on dairy free ice creams, vegan cookies, non-GMO chips and pop-corns, dairy-free cheese, pizzas, gluten-free noodles and a variety of other snacks that are either (or all) organic, fair trade, vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free, nut-free or local!<br />
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I told myself when I came home that I would upload some pictures and video from today's event, but my body shut down the minute I took a seat. I see I have a busy week of editing ahead, and I can't wait to share some highlights and interesting happenings from Green Festival with you. For now, I pass out.<br />
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Goodnight! <br />
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The Green Mongerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04027715674283070612noreply@blogger.com0