Blog

Happy Friday! Hope you'll been outside soaking up some of the last rays of August this weekend (or last night, a la Diner En Blanc). Here's a few green links & news you may have missed:

40% of the food in the US is never eaten and thrown away, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council in a report released this week. This breaks down to 20+ lbs per person per month, 25% of the groceries purchased & wasting an estimated $1300-$2300 for a family of 4 annually. How can you waste less food?

It's that time again! As much as we all don't want to say sayonara to summer the school season is upon us. Back to school time brings a myriad of emotions - excitement, anxiety, relief (helloooo, parents) and for the childless worker bees among us - a bit of nostalgia. Beyond the new clothes, fresh notebooks and binders - parents and students have to think about what to pack for lunch each school day. Of course, most schools offer cafeteria options, but let's face it they can be pretty nasty and more expensive than bagged lunches. Click through for some ideas to make lunches a little greener.

Just like Marc Vetri, we're frustrated by the Phone Books that end up on our Philadelphia stoops. The good news is that (most) phone books are (find out about recycling phone books & how to opt out, after the jump!)

When I first read a pitch for a feminine, 'natural' cleaner, I was slightly apprehensive about greenwashing. However, talking with healthy hoohoo founder Stacy Lyon was informative, enlightening and straight-up fun. And I totally understand why her products are essential in the market. A self described "outdoor, wildlife & mountain woman", Stacy Lyon grew up a simple lady and was living with the closest grocery store 21 miles away. Then, one of her friends was diagnosed with Breast Cancer and she heard the word "paraben' for the first time.  Compiled with 2 other convos in 1 week with her OBGYN and another friend, she realized that women are in the perfect storm for their lady parts with popular products: polyester thongs, processed food & cheap toiletries. And then there was this statistic, which shocked me: (Find out the shocking statistic AND essential tips to keep your VJ healthy, after the jump:)

Shark week continues... OK, what the heck is squalene? Shark squalene is an organic compound found in a sharks liver. So, what's the problem? Shark squalene is heavily used in cosmetics, contributing to unsustainable fishing and damage to marine life. One reason the population of sharks is declining is due to overfishing for the purpose of obtaining the squalene. Click through to read on!

Happy Shark Week! To continue in the aquatic tradition of this week, we’ll explore a few activities you can do in the H20! (Plus, Shark Week mentions some encounters of Sharks with Paddle Boarders…) For Family Beach Week 2012, I was itching to do something athletic & aquatic… My bike on the boardwalk could only get me so far mentally. Since it’s important to support sustainable tourism where you can to prove that animals are worth more money alive than dead, I was psyched when my cousin asked me to join her in Stand Up Paddle board Lessons. What is Stand Up Paddle Boarding? (Find out more, after the jump!)

Wondering what to do with that abundance of CSA or farmers market vegetables? This ratatouille recipe kills two birds with one stone - ensuring you don't waste any errant vegetables and meeting your daily veggie quota. I used the local vegetables I had on hand but this recipe would also work well with mushrooms, eggplant or anything else that appeals to you. Ratatouille is a traditional French dish, but I have Italian in my blood so I used plenty of seasonings you might find in an Italian dish. I was really pleased with the results. Click through for the recipe!

Happy Shark Week! The Discovery Channel's yearly celebration of sharks began last night. Last year we took a week to embrace ocean themes, including the truth of Shark Finning. We'll continue the tradition and explore more aquatic green-isms this week... Nothing is more pristine than taking in nature, sitting on the beach and looking at the ocean... even if it's the lame Jersey Shore (compared to Hawaii...) After spending the past week at the Jersey Shore with my family, I was highly disappointed to not be allowed in the Ocean for 2 days due to trash and a "high bacteria count" of the water. If the water wasn't safe for me to take a swim, what's going on with the marine life in the rest of the oceans? Did you know that one of the largest 'landfills' on Earth lies in the middle of the Pacific Ocean? (Find our more about this plastic pollution garbage, after the jump!)