This Labor Day Weekend, the Slow Food movement is coming to San Francisco, which means taking the traditional holiday eating to new heights of celebration and examination.
There will be many events that address a variety of Everyday Sustainable aspects of food around the Bay Area, including:
- policy (Food Bill Declaration)
- Food for Thought Speaker Series, including a panel conversation “about the local, national and globacl impact of the philosophy and practice of Slow Food” with luminaries in this field: Wendell Berry, Vandana Shiva, Michael Pollan, Alice Waters, Eric Schlosser and Carlo Petrini (this is sold out, but hopefully there will be a recording available later for viewing/listening somewhere)
- Food for Thought Films (FREE, at Fort Mason–at this point, only one is not yet sold out)
- Taste Pavilions (yum!) My friends at the architectural firm Min|Day has designed the Spirits booth. (Extra yum!)
- Fund-raising Slow Dinners at restaurants around the Bay Area (I have a special place in my heart for the dinner at Cafe Rouge that supports City Slicker Farms, since I used to live down the block from one of the gardens in West Oakland)
- An outdoor music festival (Slow Food Rocks)
- Sunday Streets (on Sunday, Aug 31, 9am - 1pm, a 4.5-mile stretch from Bayview to Chinatown along the Embarcadero will be closed to traffic and open to people.)
- and MUCH MORE. You’ll have to navigate (the somewhat clunky) website to see all the offerings.
- Or follow one of the CHOW-designed seven itineraries (e.g. for the cheese lover; pork enthusiast; policy wonk)
I think one of the most exciting parts of the event is the Victory Garden, because it embodies the spirit of the movement actively; the produce that was planted at the beginning of July will be harvested and donated to local food banks and meals programs over the weekend.
And an essential question–from the Everyday Sustainable perspective–is, what is it that we’ll be able to learn and experience over this weekend that we can integrate into our everyday lives?
Posted in food, local, walkability | Tagged San Francisco, "slow food", labor day weekend, city slicker farms, minday, sunday streets, car-free streets, victory garden | No Comments »
I’m not a big fan of lists of MUSTs or MUST NOTs, since I think that it’s difficult to come up with a list that is relevant for everyone. That said, those little lists that are printed on wallet-size paper are pretty convenient. I think of them as guides, rather than a definitive list.
So, from Co-op America, lists of what not to buy, and good alternatives. (Click on the link to read more details.)
From Co-op America has a list of
Ten Things You Should Never Buy Again:
- Styrofoam cups (Alternatives: Recyclable, compostable paper cups; Best: reusable mugs or cups.)
- Paper towels (Alternatives: Recycled, non-bleached; Best: dishtowels or rags.)
- Bleached coffee filters (Alternatives: unbleached paper filters; Best: reusable filters.)
- Overpackaged foods and other products (Alternatives: minimal or reusable packaging; Best: buy in bulk and user you own containers)
- Teak and mahogany (Alternative: Forest Stewardshiop Council; Best: reuse wood, buy furniture/products from used/salvaged wood.)
- Chemical pesticides and herbicides (Alternatives: organic pest controllers; Best: Plant native plants; integrated pest management; flowers and herbs as natural pesticides.)
- Conventional household cleaners (Alternatives: nontoxic, vegetable-based, biodegradeable cleaners; Best: make your own with vinegar, water and castile soap.)
- Higher octane gas than you need (Alternatives: Buy lowest-octane gas required; Best: Take public transit, bike, walk.)
- Toys made with PVC (#3) plastic (Alternatives: #1 or #2 plastics or sustainable materials; Best: tell manufacturers to stop using PVC plastics.)
- Plastic forks and spoons (Alternatives: User compostable utensils; Best: carry your own utensils and food containers.)
Five More Things You Should Never Buy Again:
- Farm raised salmon (more toxins in farm-riased than wild salmon)
- Rayon (manufacturing process is wasteful and dirty; wood-based fiber contributes to deforestation; poor labor practices in many countries; needs to be drycleaned)
- Beauty/Body care with phthalates and parabens (research indicates harmful)
- Cling wrap (made of #3 PVC; DO NOT HEAT OR MICROWAVE)
- High VOC Paints and Finishes
Posted in cleaning, food, green products, health, kitchen | Tagged sustainable, green, unshopping, Co-op America, packaging, wood, cleaners, styrofoam, plastic, PVC, toys, teak, mahagony | No Comments »
Yesterday I wrote about the accessibility of green products. Well here’s something that helps.
It’s Elephant Pharmacy’s birthday!!! It’s a store (a small local chain of stores in this case) that specializes in stocking green and sustainable products, and if you haven’t been yet, this is a great chance to check it out.
They’re having a fabulous sale this weekend at all their stores: Berkeley, Los Altos (Mountain View), San Rafael and Walnut Creek.
Click on the image below for an easy-to-print coupon. It’s for 20% off almost everything, August 16 & 17.
Posted in baby, cleaning, green products, local | Tagged sustainable, green, elephant, pharmacy, sale, coupon | No Comments »
Sunday Streets are coming to San Francisco!
I grew up in a Chicago suburb that was developed pre-automobile. That meant the streets were narrow and cars could only be parked on one side of the street. And it meant a cozier more friendly neighborhood than the super wide streets that I saw when I moved to the Bay Area; I remember being shocked and awed by how far away the other side of the street looked.
I’m psyched about the Car-Free Days, where streets are being blocked off for part of a day, in cities around the world. Ciclovia in Bogotá, Colombia seems to be the model. Watch a video of it here. In Tokyo, I used to enjoy the hokousha tengoku (Walkers’ Heaven) car-free afternoons on the main street in Ginza.
New York City had theirs last weekend (August 9). Watch the happy people cycling and strolling and enjoying the slow pace: http://streetfilms.org/archives/summer-streets-2008-nyc/
And we get ours in San Francisco, on Sunday, August 31 and again on Sunday, September 14, 9am - 1pm. http://www.sundaystreetssf.com/
By the way, I’d like them to be called People Street Days.
Posted in bicycling, local, transportation, walkability | Tagged car-free, San Francisco, street | No Comments »
I believe that accessibility is one of the keys to sustainability. If you can’t get it easily because of proximity, cost, or other issues, it’s very likely that a product/service/habit is not sustainable.
My friend started Ecobunga.com on the premise that lots of people would like to live in a way that is more sustainable, more green. However, the higher cost of many “green” products is prohibitive for Everyday Sustainable purchasing.
Hence, Ecobunga, which is a way to see a bunch of green deals and giveaways in one place. I’m not a regular coupon-clipper, but I know there are many out there. If finding a coupon is a portal to adopting greener shopping habits, I say more power to the clippers!
I myself like the site because I can learn about the products and campaigns that are going on. I don’t generally want more stuff, however, I have been entering all the “Win a Prius” sweepstakes.
Posted in green products | Tagged deals, giveways, green | No Comments »
I went to a baby shower today, and was happy to gift a Green to Grow BPA-free and phthalate-free baby bottle and nipple.
From what I’ve learned about the amount of toxicity that babies are exposed to–even before they are born–every bit that helps after they are is something I’d like to support.
In addition to providing what looks to be a good product–I will check in with my friend to find out how the bottles are in action–, I like that Green to Grow has taken on a level of extended producer responsibility with their ‘bottles to babies’ initiative which provides resources for donating what they call “gently used” baby bottles to partner organizations which will extend the use of the bottles, and provide a resource to families in need.
Posted in baby, health | No Comments »
I love tea, so I boil a lot of water. I usually just put in enough water in the kettle for a cup of tea. And then later I boil more when for the next cup of tea. I know, it’s not the most energy-efficient; not exemplary Everyday Sustainable behavior.
This morning, my boyfriend found the Zojirushi thermal carafe in the photo (at right) at a restaurant closing sale down the street. The plastic top has some coffee odor; I’ll get some white vinegar tomorrow to try to address it.
But as for keeping hot water hot, it’s worked all day long!
What a great pre-used find!
Posted in energy, kitchen | No Comments »
It’s hard not to be cynical about better car mileage tips from a major oil company.
But Chevron has a series of TV commercials that offer some good tips, in a cute talking-car animation form. Plus, these tips are going to be seen by a lot of people–I just saw it during Olympics coverage–so the exposure of these ideas will be high.
You can see the videos from their site:
- Slow Down
- Jackrabbit Starts (don’t be a lead-foot!)
- Trip Planning (plan your trip so you get multiple errands done on one trip)
- Car Pooling (duh!)
- Air Conditioning (they say turn off the AC, but rolling down the windows may not necessarily be better, depending on driving speed)
- Tune ups
- Check Your Tires (keep your tires inflated to the correct pressure)
- Empty Your Trunk
- Reduce the Revs
- Avoid the Idle
Posted in transportation | No Comments »
San Francisco water is pretty good, but I do like it better after it goes through the Brita filter. I carry around my own water bottle filled up from the filter when I go out. So that’s all good. But then there’s the problem of the filter.
Unfortunately, the Brita filter is not recyclable.
I did a bit of research, however, and found the excellent Fake Plastic Fish blog where one reader’s comment included a BRITA Customer Service suggestion for extending the usefulness of the filter:
When a filter has expired it can be placed in the refrigerator for the next month or so to absorb odours (such as cheese, onions, garlic).
I wonder if that’s true? Can’t hurt to try. But what happens after that?
The Take Back The Filter campaign! Its goal is to get Clorox to take back and recycle the Brita water filter cartridges. After all, it’s the #1 filter in the US. That’s a lot of filters in landfill.
Apparently, the Brita company is originally European, and was acquired by Oakland, California-based CLOROX. In Europe, Brita has a take-back program for its filters. (Producer take-back programs are more common in Europe, by the way.) But Clorox doesn’t have one in the US or Canada.
Take Back The Filter has a petition you can sign to support the cause. They are also collecting used Brita filters, so you can send them to:
Take Back The Filter
5245 College Avenue, Box #815
Oakland, CA 94618
or if you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, e-mail beth@takebackthefilter.org to arrange for a pickup or take them to the collection bin at the Berkeley Ecology Center store.
Posted in recycle, water | Tagged Brita, filter | No Comments »
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