Improve your vocabulary, take 2.

Fans of the popular FreeRice.com now have even more ways to learn words and make donations. In March, aidtochildren.com was launched to "bring aid to children in need through learning." When you visit aidtochildren.com, you'll be presented with a word a four possible definitions. Choose the right one and .25 cents will be donated to World Vision, the "relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice." Another fun and educational way to make a difference in someone's life.

Thanks for the heads up, BlueSky!

Envy not the oppressor and choose none of his ways. - Proverbs 3:31

Eat less meat, or none at all.

In my last post I promised to share a small change my family has made to improve our health - we limit our meat consumption. Although meat can be part of a healthy diet, there are many reasons to eat less meat. Here are just a few:

* Health - This was the primary reason I stopped eating mammals since I have a family history of colon cancer. Heavy meat diets are correlated in increased incidence of cancer, stroke, heart disease, and other ailments. On the other hand, plant-based diets are protective and help prevent many of these same ailments. And when you eat lower on the food chain, you're less likely to accumulate environmental toxins in your body.

* Cost - Meat can be expensive, especially when compared to plant-based protein sources like beans. And often meat isn't even necessary - try a loaded vegetarian pizza and you won't even miss the meat. And when you really want to have meat, don't make it the main attraction. Instead incorporate it into soups, stir-frys or casseroles. It's a great way to stretch your meat purchase and save some money.

* Environment - Did you know that livestock are responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions? That's more than cars, trucks, planes, and other forms of transportation combined. And consider the resources it takes to get meat to your table. For example, it takes 2,400 gallons of water and 7 pounds of grain to produces 1 pound of feedlot beef. The average American consumes 97 pounds of beef per year (273 pounds of meat overall per year), so that's a big impact. The numbers are similar for other kinds of meat. And we haven't yet considered the pollution caused by animal waste, processing and transporting meat, etc.

* Animals - I must say, I'd be likely to eat more meat if it were raised in a healthy and sustainable way. Industrial farming practices leave a lot to be desired not only for the people who consume the animal but for the animals themselves. And we have to wonder why most of us wouldn't dream of eating some animals (cats, dogs, parrots, etc.) but are happy to eat others (cows, pigs, chickens). What's the difference? Also, a move from industrial farming which uses loads of antibiotics may help reduce antibiotic resistance.

Now I'm the first to admit that I still eat meat, but it's a lot less than I used to eat. I also recognize that because of supermarket redlining not everyone has access to healthy, fresh foods. That said, one of the easiest things to do is just reduce your meat intake. Instead of two servings of meat, just have one (or none) and an extra helping of veggies, beans, or other non meat items. Increase your the amount of fiber you eat for a full feeling and better digestion. Whole grains are a great way to do that. You may want to check out some of the many vegetarian recipes that are out there. Many of them are so good, you won't miss the meat at all.

Here's to healthy living, for us, for the animals, and for the planet!

"The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress." - Frederick Douglass (1817? - 1895)

Donate a meal.

For many reasons, food prices are increasing - all over the world. That can make preparing a meal challenging - whether you're an elderly woman on a fixed income, a child who won't get school lunch now that school is out, or a family who has to make choices between buying food, paying a mortgage, or getting medical care. Thankfully there are many ways we can work to eliminate hunger and malnutrition. I generally prefer sustainable solutions, but there's plenty of need for stop-gap measures too. There are incredibly easy, fast, and free ways to make sure someone eats tonight. Regular readers already know about click-to-donate sites and freerice.com. Now here's another way to make a free donation: www.YourFamilyTable.com.

"Country Crock is teaming up with 5-time Grammy Award-winning singer Amy Grant and America’s Second Harvest for the second year in a row, and invites people to share the little things they do to improve their family’s health. With each small change shared, Country Crock Omega Plus will donate a meal to a family in need through America’s Second Harvest – The Nation’s Food Bank Network." So surf over to www.YourFamilyTable.com, and enter your story. Stick around to read others' stories. It's a great way to make a difference in someone's life. I'll share one of my small changes in a later post.

"It is easier to build strong children, than to repair broken men." - Frederick Douglass

Let an ORCA eat your lunch.

I neglected to bring my lunch to work today so I went to the university dining hall to get some food. On the way in, I was greeted by a slideshow of a new machine the school has installed to reduce food waste. The ORCA is a biocomposting reactor that uses environmentally friendly microorganisms to transform food waste, paper and biodegradable plastic into water and carbon dioxide. In fact, the ORCA produces up to 10 times the amount of water it uses. Imagine what your institution could save in waste disposal costs!

If you are a decision maker at an institution that serves food, look into getting an ORCA or similar machine. You can visit Green Guard Associates to learn more about the ORCA.

The rest of us can do the following:

* Choose less packaging.
* Choose packaging and materials made from biodegradable plastics or paper.
* Try outdoor composting or indoor composting at your home.
* Encourage the higher-ups at your business, school, or other institution to consider getting a biocomposting reactor.

All of this is important because landfills contain more food and paper waste than diapers, styrofoam, and tires - combined. And even though food and paper are biodegradable, they need air and water to facilitate that process. The piles of compacted trash in landfills often don't degrade so they take up lots of space in the landfills. So find a way to compost your waste.

Thanks for the tip, Emory, and for lunch! Happy composting, everyone!

"An acre of performance is worth a whole world of promise." - William Dean Howells

Prevent FOG clogs.

When I was growing up there was always a container of grease on the stove. Both my mother and grandmother saved grease and oil from cooking. My grandmother would sometimes reuse clean grease for cooking. She'd use our unedible grease to make lye soap. She used it for everything and gave it away to those of us who valued it. In fact, her last set of Christmas gifts to family and friends was gift wrapped homemade lye soap. How cool!

Nowadays, there's much less grease in my and my mother's homes - healthy eating and all. But every now and again, Kwadjo makes falafel or chicken livers and we have grease. We haven't had any new lye soap since that gift wrapped bunch over ten years ago, so what do we do with the grease? It's a problem for lots of us, particularly in restaurants. Fats, oils and greases (FOG) clogs drains and can cause sewage back-ups and flooding, costing money for repairs and damaging the environment. So here are some tips on how to prevent a FOG clog:

Do not

* Pour liquified fat, oil or grease down the drain. This causes to FOG clogs.
* Use hot water and soap to wash away the grease down the drain. It will harden and clog your pipes.

Instead,

--> Place cooled cooking oil, poultry and meat fats in sealed non-recyclable containers and discard with your regular garbage. FOG is food waste. Treat it as such.
--> Use paper towels to wipe residual grease or oil off of dishes, pots and pans before washing them. Discard the towels in the trash.

Bottom line - if you're not going to use your FOG waste for fuel (biodiesel or WVO) or for soap, put it in the trash not down the drain. Similar rules apply to motor oil except that it should be recycled. So now Kwadjo and I have container of grease under the sink. When it's full we'll trash it. Maybe one day, though, we'll make soap!

"Opinions are to the vast apparatus of social existence what oil is to machines: one does not go up to a turbine and pour machine oil over it; one applies a little to hidden spindles and joints that one has to know." - Walter Benjamin (1892–1940), German philosopher

Improve your vocabulary.

I was on the Clinton School of Public Service blog yesterday and found the neatest thing: freerice.com.

FreeRice.com is a click to donate or CTD site with twist: vocabulary lessons. Each time you correctly select the meaning of the given word, 20 grains of rice are donated to the World Food Programme. When you get the definition right you get a harder word (and the WFP gets rice). Get it wrong an you get an easier word. It's addictive, so be careful. As with other CTD sites, advertisers donate money for rice based on how many visitors test and improve their vocabulary. Yesterday 369,007,280 grains of rice were donated.

Every little bit helps. So visit freerice.com and learn a little to give a little. It's a win-win! Have fun!

"Today the man who is the real risk-taker is anonymous and nonheroic. He is the one trying to make institutions work." - John William Ward

Collect and use grey water.

Georgia is in the midst of an historic drought and almost all outdoor water use has been banned. Given these restrictions, there is new interest in the collection and use of grey water. Grey (or gray) water is the wastewater resulting from washing dishes, doing laundry, bathing, and the like. Grey water comprises 50-80% of residential wastewater. So why let all that water go to waste? Here are a few ways to collect grey water:

* Shower with a bucket to collect grey water.
* Save the water used to boil vegetables, pasta, eggs and the like.
* Keep buckets in the kitchen and bathroom to collect water before it goes down the sink drain.
* Collect the dripping water from your air conditioning unit.
* Install collection equipment to harvest the water.

Clearly grey water is not for drinking (except for potlikker), but there many other great ways to use grey water:

* Water your grass and landscaping.
* Flush your toilet - you certainly don't need potable water for that!
* Hydrate your compost pile.
* Water your house plants.
* Treat your greywater and use it to nourish your garden

Clean potable water is a valuable resource. Use it wisely, whether or not there's a drought.

"The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed." - Steve Bantu Biko

Host a Souper Bowl party.

There are just 15 days left until the Super Bowl. Lots of folks watch it for the football. I like the commercials, and sometimes the halftime show. If you're having a Super Bowl party on February 4, why not make it a Souper Super Bowl?

"The Souper Bowl of Caring is a youth-led, grassroots movement of caring, the result of thousands of young people joining together to fight hunger and poverty in their communities. Since 1990, $33 million has been raised for charities across the country." Check out souperbowl.org to find out how to:

* Register your community, religious, school or other group to participate.

* Donate to support the operating expenses of the non-profit Souper Bowl.

* Participate in the Service Blitz, by volunteering in your community on the Saturday before the big game.

Remember, each organizer gets to choose the agency to which to donate the money. I like Heifer International (for sustainable development), Potluck Food Rescue (for waste reduction), and Plant a Row for the Hungry (for healthy food), among others.

Have fun at your Souper Bowl Party!

"We lie the loudest when we lie to ourselves." - Eric Hoffer, philosopher and
author (1902-1983)

Donate milk.

I've learned a lot about breastfeeding in the last few months. I know how good it is for my baby, so I was pleased to see that there are milk banks that provide milk for babies who cannot tolerate formula and whose moms cannot provide breast milk.

There are several milk banks in the US which will collect milk from donors across the country and ship it to recipients who need it. They are regulated by Human Milk Bank Association of North America. So if you have or can generate excess milk, consider donating it to improve the health or save the life of a baby.

Just this Christmas, my mother told me about how my great-aunt was a wet nurse for her niece. Since wet nurses aren't so readily available these days, consider donating milk to improve or save the life of a baby. Even if you don't have milk to give, you can still donate life.

"Resistance is the secret of joy." Alice Walker in Possessing the Secret of Joy

Trick or treat for good.

It's hard to believe that it's almost Halloween. If you are preparing to trick-or-treat or to receive trick-or-treaters, consider these ways to trick-or-treat for good:

* Trick-or-treat for Sight Night and collect used glasses that will be recycled "for our international missions to developing countries" The Lions Club and Luxottica Retail, which sponsor the event, "will travel on 12 international missions, where they will work with Lions clubs to hand-deliver free eye exams and used glasses to more than 200,000 people in developing countries."
--> Call SightNight toll-free at 1-877-605-4242 for more information or to order your free collection kit.
--> Download collection materials here
--> Order your free collection kit here.

* Collect canned goods - Your child's organization can initiate a drive to trick-or-treat for nonperishable foods. Food can then be donated to a local food bank. Or collect clothes or coats for a local shelter. This is a great way to have a direct benefit on your or a neighboring community.

* Trick-or-treat for UNICEF and be a part of a 56-year tradition of helping children worldwide. Collect monetary donations that will save and improve lives. For example, "30¢ provides lifesaving antibiotics for a child suffering from pneumonia. $1 immunizes a child against the deadly disease measles. $10 provides enough high-protein biscuits to feed three hungry children for one month." Kits are available in the US, Mexico, Hong Kong, and Canada. Call UNICEF toll-free at 1.800.4UNICEF for more information or to order your free collection kit.

* Give fair trade chocolates to the trick-or-treater at your door. That way your gift will help cocoa farmers earn a living. Or scrap the candy all-together in favor or non-food items. Kids with diabetes and some other conditions will thank you.

These are just a few of the ways you and your child can make a difference this Halloween. And that's what every day and holiday should be about.

"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." ~ Mohandas Gandhi

Go WWOOFing.

Amazingly enough, this has nothing to do with barking dogs, or stereo equipment. The International WWOOF Association is an organizes "world-wide opportunities on organic farms." In exchange for volunteer work on a farm, WWOOFers get free room and board, training on organic farming, and an experience they'll never forget. Interested?

* There are a wide variety of farms. "WWOOF hosts are mainly pursuing a simple, sustainable, lifestyle. Many are practising Permaculture or Bio-dynamic growing methods. Some farms are commercial producers, whether full or part time; others are alternative co-operatives or communities."

* There are numerous locations all over the world. You can visit and volunteer in countries like China, Ghana, Mexico Turkey, and many others. And there are farms all over the US and the EU.

* There are opportunities for WWOOF hosts. If you run an organic farm, consider hosting WWOOFers. You meet interesting people and get some extra hands to help with labor.

The WWOOF website has much more information including an FAQ, a WWOOF history, and everything else you need to plan your trip. It's a great way to be of service, see someplace new, and learn an awful lot. Have fun farming!

"What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal." - Albert Pike

Walk the World.

In just 53 days, people in over 50 countries will walk to fight hunger. The UN World Food Program is organizing the Walk The World event for May 21, 2006 in order to "raise the funds and awareness we need to end child hunger". Here's how you can get involved:

* Walk in your area to raise money and awareness. If there's no organized walk in your town, plan one!

* Donate to the World Food Programme and feed a child. Donations in Canada, US, and Japan are tax deductible.

* Click the bright orange button and trigger a donation (free to you) that will provide a child a free school lunch. I click everyday.

So Walk the World. It's another great way to walk with a purpose.

"Love is the ability and willingness to allow those that you care for to be what they choose for themselves without any insistence that they satisfy you." - Wayne Dyer

Be a fair trade valentine.

Valentine's Day is almost upon us. This year, why not treat yourself or your sweetie with some fair trade goodies? Fair trade (not free trade) ensures that the people who grow, manufacture and produce goods are paid and treated fairly. Fair trade allows workers, farmers, craftspeople and others to earn a living wage, support themselves and their families. Sometimes fair trade products may cost a little more, but remember there's often a high cost of low price.

Thankfully, lots of fair trade vendors are making it easy for you, just in time for Valentine's Day. These are just a few of your options:

* Ten Thousand Villages markets cards, candles, jewelry and more.

* No Sweat sells chocolate hearts and other products for your sweet.

* Global Exchange offers a Fair Trade Valentine's Day Action Kit with chocolates, cards, and more.

* Organic Consumers Association has a Valentine's Day buying guide and free Valentine's PDFs you can print out for cards.

So show your love for yourself, your honey, and your fellow human beings by purchasing fair trade products. Make global interdependence work for everyone. Enjoy!

"Before you've finished your breakfast this morning, you'll have relied on half the world." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Make trade fair.

I've written before about fair trade: coffee, tea, chocolate, clothing, shoes, and more. (That's fair trade, folks, not free trade. There's a big difference.) Until now, my posts have been about individual products. Now, I've found several fair trade clearinghouses that enable you to support many more fair trade practices and products. Check these out:

* TransFair USA is "the home of the Fair Trade certification agency for the US." Their site allows you to "find the nearest café or grocery store near you that carries Fair Trade food products. You can also shop online at participating retailers and roasters as well as add a retailer if you don't find them on our list."

* The Fair Trade Foundation in London is home to the Fair Trade Mark which indicates that the product meets standards set by the International Fair Trade Labeling Organization (fairtrade.net).

* The Fair Trade Federation "is an association of fair trade wholesalers, retailers, and producers whose members are committed to providing fair wages and good employment opportunities to economically disadvantaged artisans and farmers worldwide."

* GetEthical.com "finds the best ethical, Fair Trade and environmentally friendly products and services available and brings them together in one easy-to-access place."

Learn more about fair trade and why it's important at maketradefair.com, a project of OxFam. They provide the resources you need to shop responsibly, promote fair trade, educate yourself, and more. You've got to buy stuff, so make the choice that benefits everyone. Choose fair trade.

"Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness." - Chinese Proverb

Keep the party going.

Another holiday season is upon us, and many social organizations, businesses, families and other groups will soon have holiday parties to celebrate. But after the party is over, what will you do with all that leftover food? Keep the party going by donating leftovers to a food rescue agency. I became sold on food rescue when I worked with Potluck Food Rescue to donate food from my wedding. Remember, you can donate leftovers from all kinds of celebrations, throughout the year.

Americans throw away 27% of all food available in the country. That's one pound every day, for every child, women, and man in the US. Do your part to reduce this waste and feed those who are hungry. Food rescue is so much better than throwing good food in the trash. Contact your local food rescue agency or food bank today to arrange a donation. Or click the envelope below to forward this post to the organizers of your celebration. Party on!

"Waste is worse than loss. The time is coming when every person who lays claim to ability will keep the question of waste before him constantly. The scope of thrift is limitless." - Thomas A. Edison

Share your blessings.

Today, many folks in the US celebrate Thanksgiving, a harvest celebration and feast when we take time to be grateful for all the good that has happened. Of course, we can and should give thanks and be grateful every day. One of the best ways to recognize all we have to grateful for is to share some of what we have with others. This blog is chock full of ways to share your blessings. In this post, I'll focus on those involving food, since, for many of us, this is a food-focused holiday. Here are a few of the many ways you can fight hunger:

* Feed a family, forever. You can do just that by contributing to Heifer International. They distribute livestock, trees, and other resources to "help people obtain a sustainable source of food and income." Heifer animals make great gifts.

* Feed a child today. The World Food Program is working to end child hunger by 2015. You can provide some immediate relief by clicking here. Each click will feed one child one meal. Won't you visit fighthunger.org and click now? It's free to you and takes less than a minute.

* Donate food time or money to your local food bank. They're working every day to feed those who are hungry or food insecure.

* Send a card. Each e-card you send from fighthunger.org will feed one child for one day. It will also spread the word about the World Food Program.

* Click again to feed more folks. Visit thehungersite.com and click daily. It's free to you and takes less than a minute.

No one makes it in this world alone. Just as others have helped you, you too can and should help others. Don't forget to say 'thank you' to those who've made your life easier or better. Let them know you appreciate them and their actions, and take time each day to express gratitude. Happy Thanksgiving!

"Nothing is more honorable than a grateful heart." - Seneca

Eat grub.

The folks at EatGrub.org have a great definition of "grub: healthy, local, sustainable food for all; food that supports community, justice, and sustainability." I can get on board with that! Would you like to join us?

* Eat low on the food chain. "The healthiest diet for our bodies and the earth is a whole foods, plant-based diet. Factory farming contributes to massive air and water pollution and global warming. In the process, we also waste vast amounts of grain and other resources-not to mention the cruelty to animals or the ripple effect of antibiotic resistance from over-use of in animals." Learn more at mypyramid.gov and factoryfarm.org.

* Eat organically grown, in-season, locally-grown, fair-trade and fresh foods. Learn more about local foods, fair-trade foods, and organic foods. You can also garden and grow your own. I'm preparing to grow shitake mushrooms and my compost pile is going strong.

* Help others eat grub. Donate food from your pantry, party, or garden. Support Heifer International and other sustainable development programs. Visit thehungersite.com.

* Vote with your ballot and with your dollars. "One of the best ways you can make a difference on any and all of the issues you care about is to vote and get others to do the same. Voting about what we believe in happens at the ballot box and the supermarket. Each of our consumer and savings choices has a huge impact." Also, consider the ways you can invest responsibly.

Now that's good eating, for the body, mind, and soul! Enjoy and happy trick-or-treating!

"If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about the answers." - Thomas Pynchon

Go, go, go with WVO.

"Huh? What's WVO?"

WVO stands for Waste Vegetable Oil, which is a energy efficient, sustainable, cheaper alternative to diesel fuel. It's sometimes called straight vegetable oil (SVO). I've written about biodiesel before, but WVO/SVO isn't quite the same, since, compared to biodiesel,WVO requires less processing and only minimal filtering (a blue jeans pant leg will work just fine) before use in your engine. On the other hand, biodiesel requires no engine conversion.

Many of the reasons for using WVO are the same as for using biodiesel:

* It supports the national economy.
* It improves national security.
* It improves engine life.
* It is sustainable and non-toxic.
* It produces fewer emissions.
* It's cheaper than diesel.

With a simple conversion, any diesel engine can run on WVO (or on biodiesel, with no conversion). Think of your truck, your tractor, your car. With so many restaurants willing to literally give away WVO, how can you go wrong? Here's how you can get started:

--> Learn more about WVO at journeytoforever.org and in this AJC article. (WVO/SVO versión en español aqui.)

--> Plan your engine conversion with information from nativerenewables.com, journeytoforever.org, greasecar.com and greasel.com.

Now load up on fuel and you'll be ready to drive vegetarian. Enjoy!

"The use of vegetable oils for engine fuels may seem insignificant today. But such oils may become in the course of time as important as petroleum and the coal tar products of the present time." - Rudolf Diesel (1911)

Keep the promise.

In September 2000, all 191 United Nations Member states pledge to achieve eight Millennium Development Goals by 2015. Once met, the lives of billions of people will be saved and/or improved. Five years later, progress has been made, but we still have a long way to go to meet the Millennium Development Goals. Here are the goals and here's how you can help"

Millennium Development Goals:

* "Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger: Halve the proportion of people living on less than a dollar a day and who suffer from hunger." End poverty.

* "Achieve universal primary education: Ensure that all boys and girls complete a full course of primary schooling." Each one, teach one.

* "Promote gender equality and empower women: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education preferably by 2005, and at all levels by 2015." Cherish women.

* "Reduce child mortality: Reduced by two thirds the mortality rate among children under five. Cherish youth.

* "Improve maternal health: Reduce by three quarters the maternal mortality ratio." Improve health care.

* "Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases: Halt and begin to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS and the incidence of malaria and other major diseases." Close the 10/90 gap.

* "Ensure environmental sustainability: Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes; reverse loss of environmental resources. Halve the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and significantly improve the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers by 2020." Insist on environmental justice.

* "Develop a global partnership for development: Implement an open, rule-based trading and financial system, more generous aid to countries committed to poverty reduction, and relief for the debt problems of developing countries." Insist on economic justice.

Do a search for "Millennium Development Goals" for more information, and help make our world a better place. Keep the promise.

Just a note, I won't be blogging for the next few weeks. So please peruse the archives in my absence. There's plenty you can do to keep busy while I'm away.

"True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others, at whatever cost." - Arthur Ashe

Click twice to feed the hungry.

Many companies make donations to charitable donations regularly. It's good advertising and good PR. This summer Dannon is making donations to America's Second Harvest. For each click they receive, they'll donate $1 to Second Harvest. "For every dollar donated, America's Second Harvest secures and distributes 20 pounds of food and grocery products such as cereal, soap, fruit, bath soap and diapers. According to the USDA Thrifty Food Plan, an average meal is 1.28 pounds of food."

So visit Dannon and make a quick donation. And while you're at it, click here to make another quick donation to give food to the hungry. Yet another fast and easy way to make a difference in someone's life. Don't forget to spread the word!