FilterForGood.com

About Siel

Siel is an environmental writer and activist. She's a contributing blogger for lime.com, and also keeps a personal blog, greenlagirl.com, about eco-happenings in the L.A.-area. Siel also writes poetry and holds a Ph.D. in Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Southern California. She lives in Santa Monica, Calif., and rides her pink Townie bicycle to the beach almost every day. FilterForGood provides compensation to participating bloggers for sharing their ideas on greening our world. Content is created at the discretion of each individual blogger.

TweetsGiving: Celebrate gratitude with fellow tweeting do-gooders

Posted by: Siel on November 20th, 2009

Some see Twitter as a rather narcissistic, self-centered app, others as a new techy way of organizing for good. And those in the latter group are bringing Tweeters together this season for a new global event: TweetsGiving.**

According to the website, TweetsGiving is “a global celebration that seeks to change the world through the power of gratitude” organized by nonprofit Epic Change.** More practically, TweetsGiving is a whole bunch of events happening all over the world during a 48-hour period between November 24 – 26, 2009. Each event’s a bit different, but the basic goal is this: Bring local do-good tweeters together for a fun event that raises money for social good.

Where does the money go? Well, last year’s first ever TweetsGiving celebration raised over $10,000 to build a classroom in Arusha, Tanzania. This year, some of the money will go to that school again for a technology lab and other needed items like solar panels for green electricity — while the rest will go towards funding new projects:

TweetsGiving 2009 seeks to fund new Epic Change partners and fellows in other parts of the world. Beginning in 2010, we’ll be looking for change makers and social entrepreneurs … who are transforming their own communities in remarkable ways, who could benefit from substantive investment and enhanced visibility to expand their efforts, and who have inspirational stories of hope that have the power to change our preconceptions of what is possible.

Ready to get tweeting this Thanksgiving? Find an event near you through the TweetsGiving site. New Yorkers will be partying with Mama Lucy** — the social entrepreneur who got the Tanzania school started, while Angelenos will be drinking for a cause in downtown LA.** Tickets, generally sold at tiered prices, are quite affordable. The cheapest L.A. ticket’s just $5, for example.

I plan to be at the L.A. event — which I plan to get to via bus to keep the trip green — and hope to see you there! Attending a different TweetsGiving event? Tweet me @greenlagirl** — and @FilterForGood — about how it goes. If there’s no event near you, you can still spread gratitude by hosting a TweetsGiving house party,** tweeting about TweetsGiving (use hashtag #tweetsgiving), and collecting donations or donating your own funds to Epic Change.**

And for your personal Thanksgiving celebrations, remember to check out Sarah’s tips for a greener Thanksgiving.

**You are leaving the FilterForGood Web site. The Brita Products® Company is not responsible for the content or data collection of that independent site.

Bookmark and Share

Green paper packages tied up in upcycled strings

Posted by: Siel on November 13th, 2009

Is it possible to have a green holiday season without buying anything? Or does spending no green turn you into a green grinch? I’ve got no problem with giving thoughtful, useful, eco-friendly gifts or buying yummy local, organic food, but I think many of us long for a less consumerist, more wallet-friendly season. And that’s why I definitely won’t be buying any wrapping paper or ribbons for the holidays!

Mind you — My presents will still be prettily wrapped. Above’s a gift I gave last year, encased in a clean potato chip bag and tied up with pre-loved ribbons! I’m happy to say I have all the info and know-how at this point to eco-wrap, reducing wasted resources — and wasted money. A few tutorials to help:

>> Just about every creative eco-wrapping method’s covered in this short video by Rachel Avalon,** the winner of the recent Project Green Search** contest for the next green model. Got old silk pajamas you don’t wear anymore? Magazines you never read? Old bags from Whole Foods from that one time you forgot to take your own reusable bag? I hope you saved them, because Rachel goes over how any of those objects can be recycled into chic wrapping materials.

>> Karina at Tiny Choices has tips for fancy eco-wrapping,** whether by using furoshiki or old maps! The tips aren’t just for the wrapping paper — Karina’s got a link for making gorgeous gift bows** out of magazine paper too. I recommend selecting pages with a theme that somehow reminds you of the recipient to make the gift extra personal.

>> Easiest way to eco-wrap? Save what you got last year!** Consider these decorative outer materials like gifts that were intended for regifting, and reuse wrapping paper and ribbons for the gifts you give throughout 2010. I actually have 2 shoe boxes under my bed for just this purpose — one labeled ribbons, one labeled wrapping paper. Extra bonus: You’re never left scrambling to go to the store right before a friend’s birthday party to find last-minute wrapping paper for your thoughtful gift.

Already celebrate the holidays with cost-free eco-wrapping for all your gifts? Then maybe you’re ready to go the next step and make your holiday card-free** too or your tree light-free.** To be honest, I still buy cards myself, since I do think paper cards still make people happier than e-cards and I unfortunately don’t have the crafty skills to make my own DIY cards pretty enough to give to anyone but my mother, if her. But I do opt for recycled and upcycled cards!**

**You are leaving the FilterForGood Web site. The Brita Products® Company is not responsible for the content or data collection of that independent site.

Bookmark and Share

Get a one-of-a-kind upcycled tote from Green Bag Lady

Posted by: Siel on November 5th, 2009

Sarah Bayles with a Green Lady Bag

Don’t have a reusable bag to go with your reusable FilterForGood bottle yet? Then get some of the greenest reusable totes — FREE — from Green Bag Lady!**

You may have already heard of Green Bag Lady, a.k.a. Teresa VH-Granath, who makes bags from upcycled and sustainable fabrics then gives them away FREE to people who pledge to use her bag instead of disposable paper or plastic ones. Her generous work’s been featured on CNN and many other news outlets — and lots of blogs, since many happy bag recipients blog about their unexpected eco-gift.

Shelly at Vegetarian Foodie,** for example, got bag #879, and blogged “Green Bag Lady I celebrate your creativity and generosity!” And I too have seen Green Bag Lady’s generosity at work — when she donated 20 bags for the Blogger Beach Cleanup** a couple weeks ago. Many volunteers got to go home with a free, unique reusable tote — including my co-event planner Sara Bayles of The Daily Ocean,** who’s showing off her totes in the photo.

Green Bag Lady’s also inspired many eco-thinking DIYers to make their own bags too! Many crafters have been inspired to become green bag ladies themselves, creating not just bags for personal use but to give out to others in their community:

>> Andrea Pender** sent out an email asking for fabric remnants — and got a lot of responses! Now, she’s creating bags out of that fabric to give to her clients.

>> Melissa of Melissa’s Ramblings** got an old sewing machine out to create her green lady bags. Says she after creating a tote: “It was pretty simple even for someone who hasn’t sewn in ages.”

Want your own Green Lady Bag? You can enter the frequent drawings on Green Bag Lady’s site to win one — or make one yourself by using this pattern** and watching this instructional video.** Upcycling whatever unused fabric you’ve got on hand — whether it’s old curtains or a skirt you no longer wear — will keep perfectly good cloth out of the landfills while reducing disposable trash too.

Image via The Daily Ocean

**You are leaving the FilterForGood Web site. The Brita Products® Company is not responsible for the content or data collection of that independent site.

Bookmark and Share

Expand your FilterForGood pledge: Say no to Styrofoam cups!

Posted by: Siel on October 30th, 2009

Volunteers at Blogger Beach Cleanup

What did you do on Oct. 24, the International Day of Climate Action?** I was at the Blogger Beach Cleanup** on Santa Monica beach in Calif. — an event I organized with fellow eco-activist Sara Bayles, who writes The Daily Ocean.**

25 of the more than 100 volunteers who showed up got free FilterForGood reusable bottles — which many used at the event itself. Why spend money on disposable plastic water bottles that are bad for the environment, when we’ve got free water fountains right on the beach?

The trash we picked up really showed why we must use reusables. In just 20 minutes, the volunteers picked up almost 40 pounds of trash on the beach — and a lot of the stuff were disposable containers — including plastic bottles and Styrofoam cups!

at Blogger Beach Cleanup

Most FilterForGood blog readers have already taken the pledge to banish disposable plastic bottled water from their lives — which is why I wanted to talk a bit about Styrofoam — a.k.a. polystyrene. The cost of recycling Styrofoam / polystytrene is so high — and the logistics so difficult — that most cities don’t offer a recycling option for these containers. Instead, a number of cities have simply banned the blight that’s Styrofoam to prevent the tough-to-recycle trash from collecting in the first place.

at Blogger Beach Cleanup

Santa Monica, in fact, is one of the cities that has successfully banned Styrofoam. After all, because it’s a beach city, Santa Monica has even more to lose by letting Styrofoam into its borders. Besides overfilling landfills, Styrofoam makes its way onto the beaches and into the ocean — shredding into little pieces and creating an eyesore — which isn’t good for attracting tourists. Even grosser are the birds and other marine life that die and sometimes wash up on the beach because they’ve ingested too much plastic — which then prevents the animals from ingesting anything actually digestible.

But a ban on Styrofoam in Santa Monica alone won’t solve the Styrofoam pollution problem — not even on our own beach. Styrofoam’s still legal in Los Angeles and other surrounding cities — which means that every time it rains, Styrofoam gets washed down the gutters straight out onto the beach and into the ocean. We can’t stop the problem as a city alone because our environment connects all of us.

A bill to ban Styrofoam throughout California** was unfortunately pulled from consideration earlier this year, but the fight to keep banning the stuff in more cities and counties pushes on. What’s your city’s stance on Styrofoam? Get involved with local environmental organizations fighting against Styrofoam (in the L.A.-area, one nonprofit to join’s Heal the Bay)!** And while we wait for policy changes, we can all ban Styrofoam from our individual lives! Expand your FilterForGood pledge to reduce not just disposable bottled water waste but Styrofoam waste too!

Photos by Bryan Koch

**You are leaving the FilterForGood Web site. The Brita Products® Company is not responsible for the content or data collection of that independent site.

Bookmark and Share

Guide to green Halloween guides

Posted by: Siel on October 27th, 2009

Halloween pumpkins

I rarely do much to celebrate Halloween — because I’m usually prepping for my birthday the next day, All Saints Day! But while doing nothing can certainly make for a waste-free day, my green Halloweens aren’t exactly celebratory. Thus — here are fun ways from around the blogosphere on how to green this spooky day while having fun too!

>> For simple, practical tips on greening Halloween, look no further than Crunchy Domestic Goddess’ 10 Simple Ways to Green Your Halloween.** From scavenging a pre-loved costume to using all of the pumpkin, CDG’s got the 10 most basic tips for an eco-Halloween celebration.

>> If Crunchy Domestic Goddess’ suggestion to try your own hand at upcycling a Halloween costume has you stumped, here are ideas for 5 cheap and green Halloween getups** from Mother Nature Network, a site I also blog for. The Joker costume, for example, seems fairly easy to put together. Yes, you’ll need nontoxic face paint — but CDG’s post has a link to tutorial for making that yourself!

>> Crunchy Domestic Goddess also offers links to homemade craft tutorials. But for more scary ideas, check out these 5 spooky crafts for Halloween,** also from MNN. There, you’ll find directions for crafting everything from salt dough ghosts to angry tin can cats.

>> The Daily Green has its own list of Top 10 Ways to Go Green This Halloween** — including a reverse trick or treating plan to support fair trade chocolate and a tip to opt for more eco-friendly candles for your jack o’ lantern or tin can cat!

>> And although I don’t get that into Halloween, I have put together my own set of tips before — like The Procrastinator’s guide to a green Halloween** I wrote last year. If you’ve left everything off to the last minute like I tend to do, you can at least pick up a local, organic pumpkin at the farmers’ market nearest you — or carve up whatever local fruit you have on hand!

Halloween oranges

**You are leaving the FilterForGood Web site. The Brita Products® Company is not responsible for the content or data collection of that independent site.

Bookmark and Share

350 and 10.24 — Why these eco-numbers matter

Posted by: Siel on October 22nd, 2009

Everyone from economists to psychologists have their theories about why many people don’t seem too concerned about the dire problems global climate change could bring. To me, the disconnect comes down to this: It’s scientific consensus that convinces us that global climate change is a serious issue, yet science “stuff” — you know, all those numbers and big words — tends to make people tune out and snooze.

350.org by you.

That, I think is the reason that many people still don’t get, for example, why the environmental organization 350.org** is called, well, 350.org. What does the 350 stand for?

In short, 350 stands for 350 parts per million (ppm) carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere. And that number is what scientists are saying is the level we need to get to. We’re actually above that number now — at 390 ppm — but we need to bring things down to the 350 level if we want a chance at avoiding catastrophic climate change.

I know, I know — Despite the seriousness it represents, 350 still isn’t a sexy name for an environmental movement. But getting people behind this number will affect all of our futures — which is why we should all get behind the International Day of Climate Action,** happening Oct. 24!

On that day, individual activists, grassroots groups, and established green organizations across the nation will hold events to mobilize people to get behind this 350 number — and to get world leaders to get behind it too. International Day of Climate Action’s planned to get people — and their elected representatives — thinking hard about environmental issues before December, when the Copenhagen Climate Talks** will happen and a new agreement — to basically replace the Kyoto Treaty — will be signed. To make sure that new agreement’s meaningful, we have to make sure our voices get heard.

So what are you doing on Oct. 24? I’m planning a beach cleanup** — and if you’re in the Los Angeles area, I hope you’ll join me! Otherwise, organize or attend an event happening in your area! You can find out what’s happening near you at 350.org.**

Image via 350.org

**You are leaving the FilterForGood Web site. The Brita Products® Company is not responsible for the content or data collection of that independent site.

Bookmark and Share

I’m tempted to bike Climate Ride California

Posted by: Siel on October 14th, 2009

IMG00116-20090930-1544.jpg by Climate Ride 2009.

No, I wasn’t one of the cycling activists who pedaled through the Brita Climate Ride, that 5-day, 300-mile ride from NYC to D.C. that raised money and awareness for climate change. I was on the left coast, being pretty lazy in comparison to the cyclists. But thanks to other FilterForGood bloggers who blogged about the event every day with great photos of the riders, I feel like I was there for the sweaty ride.

In fact, I’ve even been searching for and reading posts from bloggers who participated to hear about the ride in their own words — and have to say I’m inspired to try this ride myself in the future because everyone sounds like they had so much fun! Cases in point:

>> Colin Beavan, a.k.a. No Impact Man,** blogged that he was able to do part, but not all of, the bike ride — perhaps because he didn’t have enough time to train,** as he’d told me when I interviewed him! Still, he was proud to stand with the riders in front of the capitol:

Perhaps 120 people might not seem a lot to you, but it is.

Think of the person-hours.

That’s 120 x 5 days x 24 hours = 14,400.

That’s like 14,400 people turning out for a one hour protest.

>> Josh Dorfman, the Lazy Environmentalist,** put together a quick video about his training for the event — but doesn’t seem to have had time to blog about his experience on the ride yet — so I’m not sure if he made it through the entire ride.

>> Josh did, however, clearly at least make it to New Jersey. “I Met the Lazy Environmentalist,” blogged Leah Ingram of Suddenly Frugal,** who didn’t ride herself, but was psyched to meet up with the riders when they got to Lambertville, NJ. “I was really impressed that this so-called lazy dude was so committed to helping Mother Earth that he was pedaling all the way from New York City to Washington, D.C. (He did admit to some fanny fatigue.)”

>> Other riders joined the ride for just a day. “It was a real treat to cycle through the rolling countryside of Howard County, Md while talking to activists like Jenny from DC who rode with a miniature wind turbine and polar bear on her helmet,” blogged Chesapeake Climate Action Network director Mike Tidwell,** who gave the riders a pep talk one night, then joined the group for a 51-mile ride the next day. “Next year I plan to do the entire ride. Unless, of course, this year’s great action – and the work of climate activists worldwide – helps stop global warming before next September. We can always hope!!”

>> And I hope that Ethan Fried of the National Geographic Adventure blog** was able to join the riders for the last few miles, as he blogged he hoped to do. Ethan rode the inaugural Climate Ride last year, and says the inspiration he got from that ride still motivates him:

Over the course of the ride, I befriended renewable energy experts, climate activists, a Lazy Environmentalist, and everyday folk like myself. I heard inspiring talks from informed experts. I battled the streets of Gotham, crossed the Delaware River, shared the road with horse and buggies in Pennsylvania’s Amish country, tackled the shockingly steep “rolling hills” of northern Maryland (my cyclometer reported a top speed of 43.2 mph down the backside of one), and changed a flat tire outside of Baltimore….

After reading all of this, I visited the Brita Climate Ride site** — to find out that a Climate Ride California’s in the works for May 15 - 19, 2010! I’m going to wait to sign up until more details of the events are up there, since right now I can’t even tell how long the ride’s going to be, and which environmental groups the ride will benefit. But right now, I’m pretty motivated to be part of this event — Any other left coasters interested in riding with me?

**You are leaving the FilterForGood Web site. The Brita Products® Company is not responsible for the content or data collection of that independent site.

Bookmark and Share

Enjoy a park near you

Posted by: Siel on October 7th, 2009

In California, parks have been in the news a lot — because some were under threat of closure as a means of balancing the state budget. For now, state parks have survived — though with reduced hours and maintenance plus higher fees for some — but hopefully the whole debacle’s made Californians more likely to appreciate and take advantage of these public spaces.

Yosemite by you.

National Parks too are getting a boost in popularity of late, thanks to Ken Burns documentary “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea,”** a 6-episode series that began airing Sept. 27 on PBS. That “best idea,” according to PBS’ description, is this: “that the most special places in the nation should be preserved, not for royalty or the rich, but for everyone.”

I don’t have a TV (or more accurately, I have a TV that I only use to watch DVDs; the TV has no antenna or cable), but PBS has made “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea” available for free viewing online!** That means I’ve been watching snippets of it during work breaks. The gorgeous images of parks alone are amazing to see — but the narrative too’s fascinating, telling the story of national parks from the mid-1800s to today, alongside the stories of park activists and enthusiasts.

If watching “The National Parks” has you ready to visit a park, you can plan a low-cost trip by checking out Sierra Club’s frugal tips for visiting national parks.** The nonprofit points out that many parks are always free — and the ones that aren’t have fee-free weekends, free annual passes for volunteers, and even a “Golden Age” pass: “Anyone over age 62 can pay a one-time $10 fee to get an America the Beautiful Senior Pass (previously called the Golden Age pass), which gets your entire carload in for free to every park.”

To get the most out of your visit, Treehugger offers a list of 6 super-tips for national parks.** Tips and tricks range from doing scenic hikes in reverse to avoid the crowds, to hiking with a ranger to really get the unique details about the park you’re visiting. Support your national parks simply by taking time to visit and enjoy them!

Photo of Yosemite by SlapBcn**

**You are leaving the FilterForGood Web site. The Brita Products® Company is not responsible for the content or data collection of that independent site.

Bookmark and Share

Join the canning revolution!: Waste not food — or jars!

Posted by: Siel on September 25th, 2009

Just a few days after my post on the link between health care and climate change** came yet another Salmonella-tainted spinach recall.** Bought spinach labeled “Queen Victoria” or “Tubby”? Return it, then get thee to the farmers’ market!

preserves by you.

That’s what Michelle Obama’s doing. Last week, the White House had its first farmers market.** Reports Eddie Gehman Kohan, who writes the Obama Foodorama blog:

“A farmer’s market is not just about vegetables, it’s about community,” said the First Lady, who was, in fact, the First Customer.

If you live in Southern California like me, you’re lucky to have farmers’ markets all year round. But for those of you in areas that experience scary weather events like snowfall and freezing temperatures, local organic food can be had in the winter too! At Lime.com (a site I also write for), Jessica Harlan has an overview of how you can preserve summer’s flavors** — by freezing, canning, and drying. Getting started on this eco-endeavor doesn’t have to be expensive:

Preserving food isn’t difficult, although some methods require special equipment. To cut down on the expense, especially since many of these tools you might only use once or twice a year, consider sharing the purchase and use of canning kits, food dehydrators and other gear with a friend or a neighbor.

In fact, this economical and eco-friendly practice of preserving summer’s bounty’s catching on — as evidenced by the new Canning Across America collective,** with the goal “to promote safe food preservation and the joys of community building through food.” Follow the blog for info on everything from upcoming jamming classes in Seattle,** descriptions of a can-a-rama event in Dallas,** and unique jam recipes.**

Canning and jamming can help you make good use of overabundance from your backyard garden or fruit trees — or even overwhelmingly large deliveries from your local community supported agriculture program! For more canning inspiration, check out these yummy posts:

>> Karina at Tiny Choices has been canning up a storm with the bounty from her local CSA deliveries.** Her big tip: “I’ve learned that the key to staying on top of food that needs preserving is to preserve it frequently, and as the week passes - don’t just wait for the perfect day to get it all done.”

>> Canning and jamming isn’t a women-only endeavor. LAist has an interview with Kevin West,** West Coast editor for W Magazine who writes Saving the Season,** his blog about home canning. Says Kevin: “Preserves are my fast food. Breakfast is usually yogurt and jam, and then if I cook dinner at home, dessert will be a sweet preserve or brandied fruit served with creme fraiche, whipped cream, ice cream or cake.”

>> Kalyn Denny at BlogHer (another site I write for) has links from across the blogosphere to posts written by canning enthusiasts!** “Get your bottles sterilized, and get ready to join the Canvolution,” writes Kalyn, pointing out that, like FilterForGood’s BYO bottle pledge, canning and jamming encourages reuse! You’ll never look at an empty jam jar as simple trash again.

Photo by cafemama**

**You are leaving the FilterForGood Web site. The Brita Products® Company is not responsible for the content or data collection of that independent site.

Bookmark and Share

Where health care and climate change meet good, sustainable food

Posted by: Siel on September 17th, 2009

Follow the major issues in Washington D.C. today, and you may be led to believe that the topic I write most often about here — food** — isn’t all that important right now. But the truth is, food issues are what tie the two big policy topics du jour — health care and climate change — into one chewy concern.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2259/2116382897_c601732e99.jpg

Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, makes the connection between all three in his latest editorial in The New York Times.** Sure, the health care system’s got its problems, Pollan writes, but we can’t solve those problems while ignoring obesity:

No one disputes that the $2.3 trillion we devote to the health care industry is often spent unwisely, but the fact that the United States spends twice as much per person as most European countries on health care can be substantially explained, as a study released last month says, by our being fatter….

That’s why our success in bringing health care costs under control ultimately depends on whether Washington can summon the political will to take on and reform a second, even more powerful industry: the food industry.

Pollan opines that passing a good health reform bill will also mean good news for a better farm bill in the future — one that doesn’t encourage the over-production of high fructose corn syrup.

That new farm bill’s a ways away, but better eating’s finding allies all over the place. Take, for instance, the tray-free policy at a growing number of college cafeterias that the LA Times** recently reported about. Students take less food — and eat less food — and waste less food. That means a win-win-win, for students’ health, colleges’ financial bottom line, and the environment:

Many colleges offer dining plans that allow students to eat all they want at any meal; trayless schools typically maintain that tradition, although diners may not be able to carry all their food at once. Those schools report decreases of as much as 30% in food waste. With no trays to wash, they reduce water and energy use too.

And farmers’ market foodies are connecting with each other at Fans of Farmers Markets,** a page created by Sierra Club’s Climate Crossroads. There, you can map and put up photos of your favorite farmers’ market while waxing lyrical about organic veggies with fellow farmers market fans. After all, as the site points out, “Eating locally is a key part of lowering one’s carbon footprint.”

Connect, share — and enjoy healthy, yummy, sustainable foods while staying engaged politically!

**You are leaving the FilterForGood Web site. The Brita Products® Company is not responsible for the content or data collection of that independent site.

Bookmark and Share

Join Slow food to meet fellow eco-foodies and support good eats

Posted by: Siel on September 11th, 2009

In case you missed it, Labor Day marked Slow Food USA’s Time for Lunch: National Day of Action,** when eco-foodies across the nation took part in a potluck eat-in — with the yummy goal to get the federal government to change the tater tots-and-bland-fruit-in-sugary-syrup school food programs.

time_for_lunch-header by you.

After all, kids deserve healthy, sustainable food that won’t make them obese diabetics. When I think of all the See’s chocolate bars — sold to raise money for various school-related fundraisers — and instant cup noodles I ate as a teenager, I shudder — and can only hope that the organic local food I’m eating now somehow makes up for the crap I ate when I didn’t know any better.

That said, though I wanted to, I didn’t actually join an eat-in, due to other personal obligations. Did you? If so please share the details of your eco-foodie, communal eco-activist experience in the comments to inspire all of us!

I did, however, harvest some very locally-grown lettuce (below) from my organic balcony garden to add to my lunch salad. Okay — my harvest wasn’t exactly filling — but my neighbor downstairs, who has a much more prolific organic tomato garden going, shared some of his harvest — so I ended up making a very yummy local organic side salad with produce grown within 10 yards of my apartment!

IMG_7489 by you.

My neighbor’s generosity made me remember that neighbors with prolific gardens often reap unexpected gardening bounties that they don’t quite know how to make use of. Read Barbara Kingsolver’s book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, for example and you’ll learn that many people who dare plant zucchini get such a prodigious crop that they end up dropping off the veggies everywhere they can, whether welcome or not!

Serendipitously, Slow Food, the eco-foodie organization that’s all about local, organic agricultural diversity and unique, local cuisine, is offering a pay what you want dealio** this month. Usually, you have to pay a $60 membership due a year, but right now, you can join by paying whatever you can afford during this financially trying times.

Whatever amount you decide to contribute goes towards yummy, eco-foodie goals — but hey, you can join for selfish reasons too. Membership in Slow Food gives you discounts to all manner of local eco-foodie activities, from home-recipe cookie exchanges to chocolate tastings. Join now,** and enjoy every bite of your contribution.

Image via slowfoodusa.org

**You are leaving the FilterForGood Web site. The Brita Products® Company is not responsible for the content or data collection of that independent site.

Bookmark and Share

Bike the Brita Climate Ride — or just 2 miles in your ‘hood

Posted by: Siel on September 3rd, 2009

So after blogging about Colin Beavan, a.k.a. No Impact Man,** who’s going to be biking the Brita Climate Ride** next month, I got to meet him! Colin happened to be in Los Angeles promoting No Impact Man — a documentary about the year Colin and his family spent trying to make their carbon footprint as close to nonexistent as possible.

colinandme by you.

I asked him how he’s been prepping for the big ride — and was shocked by the answer:

Me: How are you finding time to train while doing this tour [for the film]?

Colin: [laughs] I’m not training.

Me: You’re not?!

Colin: I’m going from couch potato to saddle sore. [laughs]

Me: Are you serious?

Colin: Well no — It’s not that hard to ride. It’s like 50 miles a day. Whatever. You can do it, I can do it…. No — I’m not finding time…. But the thing is, I ride my bike every day anyway, so my legs are used to riding a bike, so it’s not like I’m going from never riding a bike to that. But you are reminding me that I should try to make more time to ride my bike. Which is a good idea because it also helps one to deal with stress, so I need to train.

Colin sounded pretty confident, but now I’m a bit worried about him! The Brita Climate Ride goes from New York City all the way down to D.C. — which means a whole lot of biking for 5 days in a row! I mean, I ride my pink townie almost every day, and I’m pretty confident I could NOT handle a 50 mile bike ride — for a single day!

That said, I’m definitely not known for biking long distances. I’m almost always biking within a 2-mile radius — Why bike more when the beach is just a mile and a half away?

Luckily for me, that 2-mile radius of mine contains not just the beach, but also a few libraries, multiple parks, a bunch of good coffee shops and some of my favorite restaurants — so I’m happy to say that even though I’m not a long-distance cyclist, I’m keeping my carbon footprint smaller by mostly traveling emissions-free!

So if you can’t bike 50 miles a day for 5 days straight, don’t feel like you don’t have the bicycling quads to be a good environmentalist. After all, 40% of U.S. urban trips are 2 miles or less — and 90% of those trips are made by car, according to the Clif Bar 2 Mile challenge**. If you, like me, choose NOT to get in the car to travel less than 2 miles, we’ll be doing a lot of good for the planet.

So get on your bike and tool around your neighborhood! Or if, unlike me, you’ve got bicycling quads of steel, join the Brita Climate Ride — and do an extra good eco-deed by picking Colin up off the side of the road on day 3. Just kidding! I’m sure (or I hope?) Colin will complete the Brita Climate Ride in good shape….

**You are leaving the FilterForGood Web site. The Brita Products® Company is not responsible for the content or data collection of that independent site.

Bookmark and Share