A Super Easy, Cheap, Tasty, Green, Summery Change!

For all of you looking for a way to go green without looking like a hippie, spending any extra money, or sacrificing anything, here's a super easy way! When you get ice cream this summer, get it in a cone instead of a dish. Once you finish eating, there's no trash left behind besides a sleeve that comes with them sometimes, which is usually recyclable. With a dish, there's the dish itself (usually styrofoam) and the spoon.

There's an easy change if there ever was one. Now go out and get some ice cream! :)

Change the way you think

How much water does it take to make...
...one slice of bread? 10 gallons
...one hamburger? 4,000 - 18,000 gallons
...one medium sized apple? 18.5 gallons
...one sheet of printer paper? 2.6 gallons
...one cotton t shirt? 400 gallons
...one latte? 50 gallons
 
Check out this video by the World Wildlife Fund

 

This video's message is true: We have to change the way we think. Whether you are picking out a car or an afternoon snack, take some time to think about it's impact on the world. 

Water is just the beginning: Were the workers who made it treated fairly? What resources were used in making, processing, packaging, and shipping it? Will it become trash soon or last a long time? Is there a more eco-friendly option? 

We can change our politicians and our lightbulbs, but for real change to happen, we have to change the way we think. 

Grown Close to Home

There are farmers' markets and CSAs popping up all over the country, and there's likely to be one or more in your town. Farmers' markets are markets in public places where farmers can sell their produce to the public. A CSA (community supported agriculture) is an opportunity where you pay a certain amount to a farmer in advance for a whole season, and a farmer delivers produce to you every week. "Why should I care?" you ask, being human. Here's why:

• You help reduce energy used to truck food from where it is grown to where you buy it
• There is much less packaging (read: less trash!) on the food
• Their food is much fresher. Food in grocery stores can often spend one or two weeks traveling, while local food is often sold the day it is picked
• The food is usually grown for its taste (it's not genetically modified and pumped with chemicals)
• You support small, local farms instead of huge companies
• The money stays in your local economy, supporting your community
• There is usually a great variety of foods at the farmer's market
• You can meet the farmers who grow your food, ask when it was picked, how it was grown, and ways to prepare it
• Farmers' Markets put more money into the farmers' pockets. This allows your local farmer to make a decent wage and support his or her family

So check out this directory to find a farmer's market or CSA near you!