Earth Day Post

[bubbles]

It is still Earth Day, and I do have something on my mind that is... Earth-related... so I'm taking this opportunity to ask for your advice.

I read something recently which broke my heart. It was in a book about nutrition, and it was discussing the cultural realities that affect what foods are available to us. It said something like, "The question of who gets to eat -- and who does not -- will always be determined by these economic and political factors". I'm crying right now just reading the first part of that sentence. The question of who gets to eat... This is a question?

Apparently it is. So what do I do about it? I can't come up with a way to get excess food to people who need it. I don't have money, I don't have power, and honestly I don't trust people. I don't want to give food poisoning to homeless people like I almost did last time (I took that one for the team). I feel lost and overwhelmed and sort of furious about it.

As I promised myras_girls, I'm posting a list of what I am doing to reduce my inevitably super-sized impact on the planet.

~ Using natural products rather than chemicals whenever possible: soap nuts for laundry, vinegar for cleaning, baking soda to deodorize, etc.
~ Line drying my laundry and using the coolest water setting feasible for laundry and showers
~ Making my own natural products, like toothpaste and deodorant, rather than investing in manufacturing, packaging, shipping, and marketing
~ Not driving when I can walk; not using machines to exercise when I can use my body
~ Voting my dollar, including getting produce delivered from a local farm and shopping at the farmer's market
~ Avoiding processed foods, buying in bulk to minimize packaging, and only eating until I'm full
~ Going vegan
~ Using the yard to grow edible and practical plants (e.g., aloe vera), rather than focusing solely on appearances
~ Recycling, composting, and reusing as much as possible
~ Using a water filter and avoiding bottled water, minimizing plastic packaging in general
~ Choosing online versions over paper whenever the option is given
~ Using the library instead of collecting books, CDs, and DVDs I am unlikely to get more than a few weeks' use out of
~ Not having cable
~ Only using the heater or a/c when weather conditions are extreme (easy for me to say, I live in Southern California)

I'm sure there are more, but I'm impressed if anyone made it this far. May as well quit while I'm ahead. Please share your tips! For the list or the whole world hunger issue. I'm looking to clear that up as soon as possible.

Comments

[myras-girls.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's totally awesome and inspiring! I struggle with the idea of going vegan. While I no longer drink cow milk, I still eat cheese and eggs, and, occassionally, ice cream.

Cheese and eggs would be really hard for me to give up. And I worry about having difficulty finding vegan food while traveling and at restaurants. My friend amazonsun is vegan and I've seen her be challenged when we've gone to D*C together. She can usually find food but she doesn't always eat well while traveling because her options are really limited.

Well I say good for you! Organic, non-processed foods are much better for the body. And so many people have dairy-intolerance and other animal product related illness that it makes ya wonder- you know.

[bubbles79.livejournal.com]

I am worried about traveling, because aside from raw fruit and veggies which I can keep on me, there's not a lot of vegan fare to be found outside my kitchen. Plus, I don't plan on dragging Jen to every vegan-friendly restaurant in the Fort Collins area. She might kill me and eat me.

Speaking of dairy intolerance, part of what sold me on the idea that dairy can't be good for you (aside from imagining sucking my breakfast out of someone's breast) is that we were physically unable to digest it as adults until very recently. Apparently some cattle farmers decided that indigestion was preferable to starvation, and found that a very small number of them didn't get sick at all. They thrived, natural selection did its thing... It's only within the last few generations that the majority of our population became lactose-tolerant. In fact, it's very culture- and race-specific. Even in the U.S., the overwhelming majority of Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, and Hispanics are still lactose-intolerant.

As far as animal product related illness, read The China Study. In fact, just read the first 10 pages. That will answer every wondering you ever had on the topic.

[myras-girls.livejournal.com]

Well lucky for you there are plenty of vegan friendly restaurants in the Fort that also serve meat for Jen. Woot~!