Nature Conservancy is hosting their 2010 nature photo contest!

Nature says climate change is not a cause of African wars.

Nature Moms reviews MADE FROM SCRATCH.

Crafting A Green World talks about how to be lead paint safe when thrifting.

Crunchy Chicken discusses tattoo toxicity.

INHABITAT says Ikea is now selling second hand furniture online!

The Good Human reviews TWELVE BY TWELVE

Growing up my family always had a garden in the summer and we always had an abundance of vegetables that would have gone to waste had my mom not been canning most of her life. I remember watching her with the jars and lids, canning tomatoes and green beans. She also froze items for use later in the year. Canning takes a little bit of work, but trust me it’s worth it when you’re using what you’ve preserved in the middle of winter! Today I’m going to share with you a few tips on how you can get started canning and freezing.

The National Center for Home Food Preservation is an excellent place to start when it comes to not only canning but other methods of food preservation as well, from freezing to drying to everything in between. I have one of their publications that my mom gave me a few years ago, but they have all the information right on their website.

There are two main methods of canning, using a water bath or pressure canning. Some vegetables can be canned used either method, such a tomatoes, but others can not. Green beans for instance should only be canned using a pressure cooker. A couple of weeks ago I got a bushel of tomatoes and canned half of it as diced tomatoes and the other half as tomato sauce using the water bath method. I ended up with a final count of 14 quarts of diced tomatoes and 11 quarts of tomato sauce. Not bad for a day’s work!

I’ve also been freezing fruits and vegetables since spring. When strawberries were in season I froze a bunch of those. I froze some of them alone and some coupled with rhubarb so it’s ready to go. I’ve frozen peas, corn, squash, zucchini, green peppers and even made some creamed corn and froze it for use this fall and winter. Freezing is much easier than canning, but canning it is worth it anyway.

So who out there preserves food for later? Do you can? Freeze? Dry? Tell me what you like!

There is a bad word at one point, so use caution when watching if little ears are around or you’re at work.

The following is a guest post by Neil, who attended Debbie Durkin’s 4th Annual Eco-Emmys Celebrity Chateau, where he met with a representative from Hybrid Solar Lite.  Hybrid Solar Lite provided flashlights for Neil’s review, but his opinions are his own.

I bought my first car last week.  I recently moved to Los Angeles from New York City, for though the mass transit in New York proved to be more than adequate, their West Coast equivalent…isn’t.  However, I was eager to purchase this car for it would help me realize a childhood dream.  Growing up, my sole impression of cars driven in California during the 2010’s was from the 1989 film Back to the Future II.  In this world, not only are there light-up Nike sneakers with power laces and hologram sharks coming out of movie theaters advertising the latest sequel to Jaws, there are…flying cars.

Seriously.  Moving to LA had to be the best idea I’d ever had, for in moving there I would be able to drive on the Skyway and fill up at a talking Texaco station.  This was going to be the coolest experience ever, and I was grateful to Robert Zemeckis for directing a film that so thoroughly prepared me for this brave new world.

When I arrived in LA, I made a horrible discovery.  There were no power laces.  There were no hologram sharks.

There were no flying cars. ANYWHERE.

Shocking though it was, the California of the 2010’s was nothing like Back to the Future II.  Like, at all.  Just like back in New York, movies were advertised in only two dimensions, shoe laces still had to be tied, and cars drove on the road.  Disappointed, saddened, and betrayed, I got a car that would forever be bound to the ground.

All, however, was not lost.  Three days after getting my car, I obtained a Hybrid Solar Lite ™ flashlight.  Unlike normal flashlights that eat up like four or a dozen of those ridiculously large D-cell batteries—even when we don’t use it all year—this solar powered flashlight is charged through cells built into its body and is rechargeable using not just the sun but any light source that we can see ourselves.

The Hybrid Solar Lite is waterproof, floats, and can be taken 80 feet under water.  Since it doesn’t have those enormous batteries inside, it only weighs 4 ounces.  Since its LED bulb shines at 40 lumens, it’s super bright.  However, most significantly, since it holds a solar charge for over three years, since it has a back-up battery charge with a seven-year shelf life, and since a full charge of the flashlight lasts for ten whole hours, this flashlight isn’t even Back to the Future II futuristic, this flashlight is more like WALL-E futuristic:  The titular character of that film is able to recharge his batteries in just a few seconds, and the Hybrid Solar Lite recharges after a short time exposed to light as well.

Robert Zemeckis can totally suck it.

I am very happy that only a short time after my arrival in LA, I’m able to partly assuage my ecological guilt for now being a car owner by no longer filling up the landfills with D-cell batteries.  I’ll know that the next time I need to re-power my flashlight I’ll just have to wave it around like a baton and conduct my very own symphony of renewable energy.  I can rejoice in knowing that not only have I glimpsed the real future, but I’ll be able to actually see when in the real future as well.  My new car may not fly, but the flashlight in its glove compartment works absolutely fine.

I am very happy indeed.

Hybrid Light has generously donated a flashlight to The Greenists.  Comment on this post, and one person who has commented will be chosen at random and Neil will send the winner their very own Hybrid Solar Lite flashlight. One comment per person.  Comments that appear to be spam will not be counted.  www.hybridlight.com

The importance of continual, proactive recycling cannot be over-emphasized: humans produce many pounds of waste every day through thoughtless consumerism, while not limiting their consumption or making any attempt to re-use their possessions. However, a little effort put toward recycling can prevent functional products from filling up landfills; they can begin to save the planet, one recycling act at a time. What follows is a list of 5 great recycling websites that promote recycling, and thus a sustainable future.

1) Earth911.com

Earth 911 is a resource for those wishing to recycle almost any item, from industrial-strength cleaners to discarded medication, to cell phones and digital cameras. For even the most specialized items, there are often local recycling centers that can strip reusable components from electronics and safely dispose of hazardous materials for free or very inexpensively. Earth 911 offers both informational articles on recycling specific products, as well as a local search tool for finding appropriate locations that will accept and recycle your items.

2) Craigslist.org

The ultimate classified ads website, Craigslist connects buyers with sellers of many used goods, especially furniture, automobiles, and electronics. Purchasing a couch or iPod secondhand might not sound glamorous, but it allows you to use a perfectly good item that the original purchaser no longer needs, and prevent it from being thrown in the garbage, useful to no one. The market for less valuable items on Craigslist is much less active, but there are still people selling smaller items for little to no money, just so they can find their belongings a new home with someone who needs them.

3) EPA.gov

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s website offers a thorough explanation of the recycling process, as well as information regarding composting, industrial materials recycling, and holistic, environmentally-friendly landscaping suggestions for individuals and businesses.

4) 1800Recycling.com

1-800-Recycling has a comprehensive recycling center search categorized by item type, as well as an Apple iPhone app for finding recycling locations on the go. This site also provides links to state-level recycling regulations and legal requirements, as well as a blog on relevant current events that promote re-using and recycling.

5) RecycleBank.com

Recycle Bank allows consumers to reward themselves for environmentally-friendly decisions through a web-based points system. The website is still growing, but you can send in your old electronics, sign up with electric utilities that use green energy sources, or use your city’s recycling program (if it is partnered with Recycle Bank) to earn points that can be redeemed for real rewards or cash.

Thanks to consumer education efforts by recycling organizations and governments, recycling is finally getting the attention it deserves, and these five recycling websites are only a handful of hundreds of sites that support responsible consumerism and environmental awareness.

Louise Baker ranks online degrees for Zen College Life. She most recently wrote about the best colleges online.

If you have access to fresh food and freezer/refrigeration, making fresh, homemade baby food is a green, economical, DELICIOUS, and incredibly satisfying way to ensure that your child is receiving the highest quality food that you can provide. I decided to make homemade baby food after I opened a jar of organic peas and began gagging because of the horrid smell! I did not want to feed my children anything that I was not willing to taste (or sniff) myself.I was amazed at how easy and inexpensive it was! A single glass jar of organic butternut squash puree can cost close to $1.00. I could purchase an organic, locally grown butternut squash at the farmer’s market for $2.00 and have enough fresh food to last months! Here is how it’s done, in 5 simple steps:

1. Purchase fresh fruits and vegetables, preferably from a local farmer who grows organically. Babies are chunky little people, so pesticides and other chemicals accumulate at a more rapid rate in their tiny, snuggly bodies. Frozen produce may be substituted and contains equivalent nutrients to fresh, sometimes more if you are not buying local (fresh fruits and vegetables often lose nutritional value in shipping).

2. Wash your hands and sanitize any materials (blender, freezer trays, spoons) that you will be using to make or store baby food (I pour boiling water over mine). Steam or bake your selected fruit or veggie. Check out www.wholesomebabyfood.com for recipe ideas and instructions on how to cook food in order to retain the most nutrients. Some fruits, such as banana and avocado, do not need to be cooked before serving – just smash it up!

3. When your chosen produce is finished cooking and cooling, simply puree to desired consistency with your blender and selected liquid (water, breast milk, or formula).

4. Pour the puree into icecube trays or a freezer tray specially designed for homemade baby food. I like the trays made by Fresh Baby. Freeze until firm.

5. Remove frozen puree cubes from trays. Store in freezer bags or reusable freezer containers (in the freezer, of course). When it is mealtime, heat to serve and watch baby go to town while you feel awesome because you are putting your child on a lifelong path to healthy eating AND keeping food packaging waste out of landfills AND supporting local farms AND saving money!

Before you begin any feeding program, please consult your child’s pediatrician and do your own research. Some text resources I enjoyed include:

Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron

Top 100 Baby Purees by Annabel Karmel

Happy Cooking !

I’m a somewhat outdoorsy kind of gal, and despite the sweltering heat this summer, I’ve done a lot of bicycling, kayaking, river tubing and hiking. All this is great fun, but for one thing: I have a watch with a metal band, and metal watch + sunscreen + my sweaty wrist = no fun. And since I’m also the kind of gal who constantly wants to know what time it is, I soon found myself in the market for a durable watch with a cloth band that I could wear while I’m enjoying the outdoors.

So I went watch shopping online, and it wasn’t long before I found Sprout. In addition to the wide selection of colors and the cute design, I was pleasantly surprised to read that Sprout watches are supremely eco-friendly. The band is made of organic cotton, the watch face and buckle are made of corn resin and bamboo, the glass over the watch face is made of mineral crystal, and even the battery is mercury-free. There’s nary a petroleum-based product in it! I was quite impressed, and between the eco-friendliness and the fact that it’s only $24 on Amazon, I bought it.

When the package arrived, I was glad to see that the watch was packaged in recycled cardboard, and it even contained a little package full of seeds that I just need to water and place in front of the window and watch it grow!

I want to mention one thing about Sprout’s customer service. When I first got my watch, it was set to the correct time and running smoothly. But just a few hours after I put it on, the battery died. I went to the Sprout website and filled out the Contact Us page explaining that I know the battery is not part of the warranty, but I wasn’t expecting to have to replace the battery as soon as I bought the watch. I received an e-mail back almost instantly from the company offering to send me a mailing envelope, postage paid, so I could sent them the watch and they could make sure it was only the battery that was the problem and not something else.

I said OK, and in a few days I received the mailer. I sent the watch off, and about two weeks later, I received the watch back. It’s been working perfectly ever since. That’s great customer service!

I’ve been really happy with my Sprout watch — it’s held up well and the design is really cute. I have the green one you see above, but there are many other colors to choose from. It’s a great casual watch for outdoor activity or just everyday use. I love it!

I haven’t put up links in a week or two, so I thought I’d give you two posts in one. Above is my cat’s video review of the Adopt A Cat Organic Catnip Toy from GoodThingsGreenThings.com.

And now, links!

OnlineDegrees.org listed The Greenists as #26 on their top 100 list of Green Blogs for Students!!!!

Hudson Valley Green Festival tickets are on sale for the September 4th event!  We’ll be posting more about this event next week.

The Good Human gives helpful hints to finding a car sharing service near you.

Asthma Mom has health tips for the school year.

Crunchy Chicken is going pioneer!

Retro Housewife Goes Green wants you to vote for ethical jewelry.

Goat meat from a vendor at the Gateway Market and veggies from our CSA. Pickle I made from my garden last year

Wolf and I celebrate our anniversary and get away to the ocean each year in York, Maine. Since we’ve been vacationing there as a couple for 8 years (I’ve been vacationing there with my family for 38 years) we are well acquainted with many of the local wares available to the the traveler. Local food availability is one of the things we’re taking the time to learn about.

The CSA we purchase from allows shareholders to double up on their order if the shareholder is unavailable for whatever reason. This is what we chose to do. It required a small amount of pre-planning by calling the organizer of the CSA and letting her know we’d be away and wanted to double up. This allowed us to create a meal plan based on what we already had on hand. The cottage we rent has a kitchen which allows us to save on food costs because we didn’t have to eat out every meal like we would if we stayed in motels or hotels.

The meal plan we made brought the realization we would still need to stop by the grocery store to pick up some of the things we couldn’t bring with us/didn’t have on hand. Knowing Maine is chalk full of farms I made the decision to stop by the local farmers market to see how many items on our list we could cross off before heading to the grocery store. The Gateway Farmers Market is by far one of the best I’ve ever been to. (If it’s always this good Wolf and I will very, very seriously consider moving there!) The local foods available were unbelievable. I didn’t keep a list of who I got food from but we got artisan bread, ground goat, milk, yogurt, plums and peaches. Finding the market required a small amount of research. A few days before we left I started looking for farmers markets online and found Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners. After some digging I came across a list of markets in Maine. It was then I realized the local market was to take place the the day we were to arrive so I made sure we left a little earlier than usual so we could get to the market early-ish. It was worth getting up at 7a. (It’s times like this I thank dog for the internet. Finding local foods wouldn’t have been so easy 10 years ago!)

Being a lover of beer, Wolf likes to stop into Tully’s Beer & Wine annually. The woman who owns the place specializes in hard to find and “exotic” beers and wines. There are lots of local spirits available. Wolf purchased a mixed six pack to include some local beers. Unfortunately I didn’t get a picture before he sucked them back. It was vacation after all!

Each year the beach seems to get messier and messier. Wolf and I walk up and down Long Sands all the while picking up discarded plastic left by uncaring humans. This year, however, the beach was almost pristine. My gut tells me it’s because of the oil spill. It seemed people were a little more respectful of Ocean than I’ve seen in a very long time. And maybe because the Town of York has decided there is to be no smoking on the beach. And the best part? I didn’t see anyone smoking on the beach! Smokers went up to the sidewalk to smoke. I don’t know what they did with their butts (I assume the butts were put into the box) but there weren’t thousands of butts all over the ground. It was wonderful to see compliance!

It was also nice to see the bacteria levels were being monitored. I believe York has always done this but it’s never been advertised like now.

In the 38 years I’ve been going to York I have never known the water to be off limits because of bacteria (only because of riptides, high seas, and sharks). It’s nice to know the State of Maine is taking the health of the human visitors very seriously. And it’s nice to see the beach and ocean haven’t been taken advantage of as it has been in the past.

How do you save energy around your house? Hopefully you at least turn off the lights when you leave a room and throw on a sweater instead of cranking up the heat when it’s cold outside. But what do we really know about energy consumption? Results from a study conducted by researchers at Columbia University, Ohio State University, and Carnegie Mellon University have appeared in several media outlets recently, and the data suggest that people, even green-minded people like us, may not know as much about energy conservation as we think.

Why? Well, in the study, participants were asked an open-ended question worded thusly: “In your opinion, what is the most effective thing that you could do to conserve energy in your life?” According to the results, a significant number of people responded that they turn off the lights and unplug appliances. In other words, they’d rather reduce usage than buy new bulbs or invest in energy-efficient appliances, both of which would use far less energy than continuing to use older bulbs or appliances, even if you cut down on use. In the media, these results are often framed to suggest that Americans don’t have any concept of what energy efficiency is, and clearly we’ve been misinformed about the best ways to cut down on our consumption.

I have a few issues with this study, though, the most pressing being the question itself. I have a master’s degree in communication, and in the many, many surveys I conducted while I was in grad school, I learned that the wording of the question is vital. “In your opinion, what is the most effective thing that you could do to conserve energy in your life?” How would you answer that question? I’m thrown off by the use of the word “could.” There are a lot of things I could do around my home to make it more efficient, but that doesn’t mean I will, because I can’t afford a wind turbine or a complete solar power system. But then the question includes the phrase “in your life,” which seems to implore a personal response, as in the day-to-day things I do around my home. My point is this: In my home, I turn off lights rather than running out to buy an Energy Star refrigerator. That doesn’t mean I don’t understand the energy savings that come along with said refrigerator. I believe the question is ambiguous, and since it’s open-ended, the responses probably varied wildly. It’s no wonder we appear to be confused.

Another issue I have with this study is that it doesn’t take into account the energy usage associated with buying something new. Yes, a washer and dryer made this year are certainly more efficient than the 20-year-old ones you’re using now, but a new washer and dryer must be manufactured, tested, packaged, shipped, and installed in your house, plus the old ones must be removed and disposed of. How much energy is consumed in that process? I’m sure it’s still saving energy in the long run, but there’s a reason that buying new things, even eco-friendly products, is not green unless they’re absolutely necessary. In other words, hang on to your old washer and drier until they kick the bucket, then go out and buy your new, energy-efficient appliances.

Essentially, I’m taking issue with the sensationalistic headline that we’re “delusional” when it comes to energy savings. Most of us know what products are efficient, we just don’t have the means to include them in our lifestyles just yet. Maybe we will one day, but for now, give us a little credit.

What do you think of this study? Do you have a good grasp on the best ways to save energy around your house? Do you think other people do?