April, 2008

Let's keep it simple tonight.  Here are 50 ways to help the planet.  No more, no less.

And I'm not positive that this falls under the realm of "Responsible Food," but provided you go organic and humanely treated you're probably in the clear.  Besides, it's bacon 50 ways.  Can you really argue with that? 

Everywhere you look something else is going 'Green'. The latest addition to that list is the latest edition of the NYTimes Sunday Magazine. All-green all-the-way-through this week. Except for the paper they print it on. Or the gas used to deliver all those papers. And so on...

As you've heard here on Responsible Food and elsewhere I'm sure, rising food prices around the globe are a huge concern. One of the things driving the rise in food prices is increased use of land to raise crops for biofuels instead of edible crops, which may help with energy issues but is detrimental to the price of food.

In order to be responsible with our food supply, it's incredibly important to find other ways to create biofuels without using precious land that can be productive for food uses.

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Recently I've heard the term 'solar thermal energy' mentioned in various articles. Probably someone writing a book, but it also sounds like technology with a lot of benefits.

King Corn is a new documentary about how this ubiquitous crop has surpassed mere vegetable-ness and become an ingredient in a stunning swath of contemporary life.  Have a listen to this NPR interview with the filmmakers.

Doesn't it suck when you're eating soup or even pasta and you put your utensil down and it slips away into your meal?  We say good-bye to hot, dripping fingers and say hello to "The Bowl That Ran Away with the Spoon."

As has been mentioned here at Responsible Food in the past, there's a local, organic solution lurking close to home for millions of Americans and citizens of the world: their backyards.

It certainly doesn't get any more local than that, and with complete oversight for the growing practices, you'll never have to worry about whether the USDA's definition of organic matches up with your own.

Grist has a post that calls it the solution beneath our feet:

While I can't take credit for the witty title of this post, the fine folks at the Ottawa Citizen can.

In a slightly bizarre but strangely intriguing article, a UK farmer says he does Tai Chi in front of his cows and it helps increase his yield.

You can read the whole fascinating story, complete with pictures, here.

It was a glorious day. Today's spring weather in New Haven was just a tiny taste of what's to come but I already have a dilemma. In my search to be as responsible citizen of this planet I have to wrestle with the fact that cooking food my favorite way is definitely not the best for the environment.

The Walrus magazine has a great interview with responsible food superstar Michael Pollan available for your reading pleasure:

A Pennsylvania legislator has proposed reimbursing farmers for costs assciated with switching to organic growing methods.

We can make changes at the grassroots level, but legislative support like this is invaluable in making large scale changes in the way our food production occurs.

In between the glossy fashion ads, there is still quality journalism to be found in Vanity Fair.

In the May 2008 issue there is an in depth expose of food conglomerate Monsanto's irresonsible food tactics. They embody everything bad about international corporations, with strongarm tactics and shortsighted, self serving policies.  

When I recently came across Joel Salatin's book Holy Cows and Hog Heaven: The Food Buyer's Guide to Farm Friendly Food, I knew I had found a Responsible Food manifesto from the heart of the battleground: the farm.

Most people are scared of bats, but they play an important role in food production.

Recent studies show that bats are particularly useful in situations where pesticides are not used to control insects.

In Mexico, on shade grown organic coffee plantations, bats are playing a key role.

Stonyfield Yogurt has a recall out on some of their products - after reports of small pieces of glass and plastic being found.

Pretty scary - here's the details so you can make sure your yogurt is on the level. 

The NY Times has a great article about the reasons higher food prices could be a positive development:

Looking into the future, it appears that there is an almost inevitable need to turn towards high density urban living. The realities of the suburban environmental impact, especially in regards to issues such as commuting, all point to a need to increase the efficiency and viablity of urban living.