Tipping The Scales - Food For Thought Friday

You might want to grab a cup of tea or coffee this morning.  This is a long one! 

I think it is safe to assume that if you are here reading this, that you love our Earth.  And I am also going to assume, that if the first statement is true, then you also are worried about climate change.

I prefer to call this global threat by its real and true name...Global Warming.  Somewhere along the way, politicians got ahold of this subject and softened the name so as to diminish the impact of the words.

After all, the term "climate change" does not create in us the discomfort that "global warming" does.

The semantics of the subject don't matter, though.  All that matters is what we do about it and how quickly we act.  Though there are climate deniers out there that would like to pretend that global warming does not exist, it does.  98 percent of the world's climate scientists support the consensus that climate change is the direct result of human activity.   After witnessing the untold natural disasters of 2020, none of us should have any doubts about the existence of global warming.

It's been a while since we have addressed this subject here on the blog, so I thought maybe it was time to re-visit it.  Unfortunately, the pandemic and politics are in the forefront of daily news, causing many of us to forget that global warming is an even bigger threat to our world.  And... it is one that cannot be put on the back burner!  Just ask our beautiful West and Gulf Coasts!

If you are like me, there are times when you feel completely overwhelmed, and though you are enthusiastic about making changes to help the earth, you fear that no matter what you do, the problem is too big for you to make a difference.

While it is true that the problem is a big one... the biggest one to face humanity in our history -each one of us can make a difference.

If we think of this global warming - which simplified is like a scale with carbon emission on one side of the scale and carbon sequestration on the other side of the scale - then  we can comprehend that each of our acts is a grain of sand on that scale.  And a single grain of sand has the ability to tip the scales one way or another.

So, each act of reducing one's carbon footprint can help to tip the scales in the direction of saving our beautiful earth!  Even the smallest changes made can help make a difference.

Changing one's direction towards more sustainable practices is most easily accomplished by changing one thing at a time... then proceeding to change one more thing...and one more thing... and so on.  Obviously, we cannot all place solar panels on our roofs, however, some of us (depending upon which state you live in) can choose to buy our electricity from a sustainable, renewable provider.  And while it may be slightly more expensive, we can decrease our consumption to make up the difference.  Simply turning off lights in rooms we are not in, taking shorter showers, etc. can reduce our consumption.  (I have many more ideas on this subject if you are interested.)  Forty-eight percent (on average) of home energy usage comes from heating and air conditioning.  Lowering your heat or raising your air-conditioning just one degree lowers your energy usage by 3%.  Two degrees... 6%.  Three degrees... 9%.... and so on.  Dressing in layers can offset the cooler temperature in the winter time.

Over the past several years we have made radical changes in our energy consumption here on the farm ... all of which we have highlighted in previous blog posts.

Today I thought I would include some additional steps that we can all take to decrease our carbon footprint as well as give you a quick review of some of the personal care items that I have switched to in order to remove plastic from our lives.  I must confess, that the plastic packaging on some of our produce items have been difficult to get around - especially in the winter time, but we are still working on that.  And the pandemic has made this a little more challenging as well.

Staying home more as a result of this pandemic has allowed us to re-think additional behaviors that we can modify for the sake of the planet. 

 Firstly, we will reduce our air travel.  Personally, I have no desire to board a plane during these Coronavirus times when re-breathing the same air that a cabin full of other passengers have exhaled holds no allure for me.  Even still, we are a society that thinks nothing of boarding a plane and flying here and there.  And though we have kids in other states, we will most likely be driving to see them instead of flying.

We have resolved to eat less meat.  We do buy local, humane and sustainably raised meat, but we can still reduce our consumption by eating a more plant-based diet.  It's healthier.  I have no plans to turn vegan, not that there is anything wrong with that... it is just not my desire.  However, I enjoy meat-free meals, and enjoy making nutritious, protein-rich dishes that include beans and whole grains.

As for our quest to reduce plastic packaging:

Although plastics are made from petroleum products, their presence in our environement don't contribute directly to global warming.  However, they do pose an enormous problem with regards to pollution and the safety of marine life... not to mention health effects for humans.  Each of us consumes a credit card sized amount of micro-plastics from our environment each week.  Take a moment to digest that thought.

It's been a year now since I have bought any juices, condiments, shampoos or conditioners, laundry detergents, dish-washing detergents, or cleaning supplies that come packaged in plastic.  

I have been completely satisfied with all that I use and will never switch back.

For laundry and dishwasher (Dropps) I use:

I buy only dishwashing liquid in a glass bottle, or a cake of dish soap and mix my cleaning supplies (Blueland) from concentrate:

 We use vegetable- based soap from a local company:

My personal care regimen includes moisturizing with these (both in glass containers):

We use only bar shampoo and conditioner (I love these) :

I have switched to crystal deodorant... I have used this for months and it shows no wear, and it works! :

We use this Metal tube toothpaste and silk-with-candalilla-wax dental floss in a re-fillable metal dispenser:

My make up routine is quite simple.  A little bit of blush (in a glass container) on my cheeks and this mascara (in a metal tube):

I have long thought that we make our lives much more complicated than they need to be.  Simplifying my daily routine has saved me time and money.  What I put on my skin is as important to me as what I put in my body (food).  Knowing that I am living more simply and at the same time, more sustainably, gives me personal satisfaction.

I have sworn off of fast fashion, (which is energy intensive and water-wasting in its manufacturing... not to mention utilizes workers who are not paid a fair wage).  I have made a concerted effort to only make and wear clothes of natural materials; opting for cotton (preferably organic), linen, lyocell, or wool.  This way, any clothes that are discarded at the end of their life do not become yet another piece of plastic (nylon, polyester, etc) that ends up in the environment.  Mending, recycling, up-cycling, and repurposing has become my mantra for old clothing... anything to reduce consumption of new items.

If you are new to my blog- hopefully, I have given you some things to think about.  If you have heard much of this before from me... perhaps there are yet some changes that you can make for the betterment of our planet and all of its inhabitants.

Some suggestions:

1. Assess your energy consumption.  Are there ways you could conserve?

2.  Drive less.  Combine your errands into one efficient loop.

3.  Eat less meat.  We can talk more about this if you like.;

4.  Whenever possible... eat local.  This may change the way you eat to a degree.  We have learned to live without berries in the winter (except for the ones that we freeze from summer's harvest)... oh, how good fresh ones taste when summer returns.  Root vegetables, frozen and fermented garden produce, and local greens carry us through the winter months. 

5.  Consider composting your food scraps.  Paying close attention to food waste is essential... with the goal of ultimately reducing food waste.  40% of this country's food goes to waste.  This is a national travesty considering the amount of hunger that exists in this country.  Keep all vegetable scraps from cleaning veggies (even onion skins)  in a storage bag in the freezer to use later for making vegetable stocks.  This subject could be a whole blog post if your are interested.

6.  Pay attention to packaging.  Opt for products that come in glass or metal containers over plastic.  You may think you are recycling your plastic, but most likely it ends up in a dump in some third world country... or worse, in the ocean.

7. Stop buying plastic-bottled water.  Convenience is not worth the price to our planet.  Consider always carrying your own drinks with you in a metal insulated container.

8.  Consider adding "no straw, please" to your drink order when you are out.

9. Use matches instead of a butane lighter.

10.  Invest in re-usable silicone food storage options.  They are pricier than plastic bags but they wear like iron.  I have used mine for over a year now and they are as good as they were the first day.  I love them!

11.  Consider keeping food storage containers in your vehicle.  Take-out containers are often made from styrofoam... another pollutant that never bio-degrades.

12.  Lastly... plant!  Plant as though your life depends upon it.  Plant trees, bushes, food... anything.... just plant!  Growing vegetation helps to bring carbon out of the air via carbon dioxide and fix it down into the soil, where it belongs.  

 Perhaps the most important way to effect change is to stay informed and vote.  There are many ways to vote.  You can vote for candidates that support "green" initiatives, but more importantly, you can vote with your wallet.  Don't buy those things that leave a heavy carbon footprint.  If we refuse to buy items that add to our environmental problems, eventually a change will happen... but more of us need to get on board with this idea.  Most importantly, think about consuming less.... less of everything!

If you are interested in more information, please consider watching 2 excellent documentaries:  Kiss The Ground and David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet both of which are streaming now on Netflix.  Although a devastatingly real portrayal of the changes of this earth during his lifetime, David Attenborough's film will leave you with some hope... as will the other.

Watching my precious grandchildren, who have no idea of what the world holds for them in their future, fills me with the need to act and to encourage others to act and to vote for those who I know will make the necessary changes needed.  It is my hope that our children will be able to enjoy our earth in the same way in which we have had the privilege and joy of doing.  If we don't do this, we have failed our innocent future generations.

If you are interested... I would like to resume our Friday Food For Thought Posts.... and perhaps we could delve a little more deeply into all of these issues.

Now is not the time to feel distressed... it is the time to feel motivated!  We can do this!  Please feel free to share this post with friends and family.

With that, I will wish you a wonderful weekend.  Make sure you get out of the house and appreciate this big beautiful world.  If you have the chance to spend some time in nature... do it.  It is good, not only for your mental health, but also your physical health.

With many hugs from the farm....

see you Monday!

PS... because you asked....our 5th grand baby is due next month and she will be in North Carolina.     Little Wren Marie will be our Carolina wren!!