Actually looking into where my food comes from... novel concept, right? (2nd post in food series)

I adapted an essay from my Local/Global Food and Farm Systems class, where we had to write a Food Diary:

I am a vegetarian, so I let some of my food habits slide because of the many ways that vegetarianism avoids environmental problems associated with factory farming. I have not yet admitted to myself that processed vegetarian foods also have negative environmental impacts and can also be part of the industrial animal-abusive food chain. I eat many unprocessed foods, like salads and vegetables, but they are rarely local, and often eaten with other processed foods like salad dressings.
Most of my food is organic or otherwise labelled as eco-friendly and targeted to concerned consumers like me. I have to look beyond the images of trees and the claims of "natural" and "green." For example, instead of butter, I use Smart Balance because it is labelled as healthier, yet its ingredient list is filled with names I cannot decipher, and one I wish I couldn't: “TBHQ for freshness,” a form of butane described by Pollan as  “the most alarming ingredient in a Chicken McNugget.”[i]

DC VegFest

Tara and I at the DC VegFest with the Carrot.

Last weekend, on September 11, my friend Tara and I headed to GWU for the DC VegFest, an annual festival celebrating vegetarianism.

Neither of us had been before, so it was a really great experience.  We bought delicious falafel from Amsterdam Falafelshop, located in Adams Morgan, and vegan cupcakes from Sticky Fingers Bakery, located in Columbia Heights.  (Yes, the cupcakes were delicious - just ask the winner of Cupcake Wars, a vegan chef!  We got strawberry and cookies-and-creme cupcakes, FYI.  Both delicious!)

We also had samples from Gardein, a company that makes vegetarian meats, and some protein shakes from Vegan Bodybuilding (no lie!).

So why am I writing about this on a blog about environmental issues?  It's been suggested that the meat industry as it exists today in the United States is a major contribution to carbon emissions - according to the Environmental Defense, if every American skipped a meal of chicken a week for a vegetarian substitute, the carbon dioxide savings would be equivalent to taking more than 500,000 cars off the road.

You can save tons of carbon emissions (literally) by reducing your meat consumption - meat is a much more greenhouse-gas intensive product than vegetables are (due to the emission of methane and the huge amounts of corn required to feed the animals, not to mention the emissions due to transportation).

New Year's Resolution Time

In honor of the new year, the blogosphere erupts with new year's resolutions. The shift from one year to the next, for many, presents the ideal time to make new personal commitments, new pledges for self-betterment. I have been pondering writing a set of new year's resolutions for myself or for Georgetown students in general; however, I feel that framing advice as a "new year's resolution" is inherently flawed. I create new self-goals all throughout the year, and I do not feel that one specific day is needed to spur them. For example, late last summer, I made a promise to myself that I would go to the Dupont Circle Farmer's Market every Sunday (as long as the weather allows), and I have kept true to this (and HIGHLY recommend that you do it, too!).

When one creates a new year's resolution, there often seems to be an undercurrent of self-doubt built into it. How many people make a resolution of better diet or more exercise and break it after the first month? We make a resolution, knowing that we might forget about it later on. However, ongoing processes of self-improvement have more meaning and, at least in my opinion, can accomplish more.

Nevertheless, I will make some recommendations of some great opportunities for progress in living an environmentally conscious lifestyle.


1) See more documentaries. This will not necessarily change your habits, but being informed is very important. Seeing movies like The Cove, The End of the Line, and Food, Inc. (which we will be screening in a few weeks) is a great way to keep the mind stimulated and active.

2) Reduce consumption of animal-based foods. I have gone on a gradual process of this over the past few years, and I think it works best as a process, not "cold turkey." Switch out a meal every so often to falafel or lentil curry or some other flavor-rich, plant-rich culinary concoction. Having already given up red meat and poultry (I still eat fish but only once in a while) and eggs, I still consume my fair share of dairy because of my love of European-style and Greek yogurt. However, as I noted, progress is a process.

3) Buy things with less packaging. This is one of my goals whenever I go shopping. For example, when I found out that England began to phase out cereal boxes (in favor of bags only), I switched from boxed to bagged and then, later, to bulk. Less packaging also means less to carry and less space taken up in the bag.

4) Find creative ways to reuse things. I have seen artwork made out of plastic bags. Make sure to pay attention to "reduce" and "reuse" in the three R's slogan for recycling.

5) Try to get the interns at your congressman or senator's office to know your name. Hopefully, Congress will make progress on climate legislation, so make your voice heard!

6) Spend less time on a laptop and more time lapping up fresh air. My rarely ever being off gmail probably sucks up a lot of energy.

Happy new year!

Meeting Dr. Jane

If you want to know all of the details of what Jane Goodall said in her lecture, you can check it out on the Georgetown website. The audience absolutely adored her, and she spoke with wisdom, grace, compassion, inspiration,...(The list goes on.) Her messages of peace and conservation, of humility and compassion, were, in my opinion, in tune with the ethos of Georgetown University, something we should all remember.

However, you can watch her (Mr. H, peace dove, and all) at the link above. What you can't watch is the student reception.

A group of us from the EcoAction board were able to attend the student reception for the lecture. Also at the event were contingents from GW and American as well as students from the Center for the Environment and Lecture Fund.

Dr. Jane (as those around her seem to call her) befittingly requested that the receptions be vegetarian. Her work with animals has inspired a love and compassion for them, and the reception should follow suit. We were able to indulge in an array of hummus dips (regular, black bean, and one other) with toasted pita corners, a variety of fruits, vegetables, and cheeses, and much more. I know I ate too much afterward, but it was all healthful food, so I don't have to feel too guilty.

After lots of mingling among the students, Dr. Jane finally walked in. When she entered the room, a silence fell over the room. All noise stopped. Tripti accurately described her entrance as "regal." She had an air of serenity and wisdom in the way she carried herself and, as we soon found out, in the way she spoke with us.

It was a bit intimidating to speak with Jane Goodall (that's right, THE Jane Goodall) when she finally got to our group while doing rounds. However, she was very welcoming; in the moments of silence around her, one feels that she is contemplative and compassionate. We spoke with her about the connection of business and law to social responsibility and of her work with youth from across the globe. She emphasized her message of an inspirational environmentalism. When speaking with students, she would often encounter many who had become depressed or indifferent, feeling that their future had been compromised by those before them. However, she seeks to inspire today's youth to take action in their communities, finding the steps (whether big or small) that can benefit people, animals, and the environment. She encouraged us to stay positive, stay focused, and stay active.

I had not had the opportunity to buy her book at that point (I did so just before the lecture), but I was able to get her to sign the back of a Roots & Shoots flyer that I later pasted into the book.

I have not yet read her book, but I am looking forward to doing so soon; the lecture gives a taste of the stories in her book--of the hope for the future that she sees around her. The only surefire way to lose a fight is to give up.

Who Says Mondays Can't Be Fun?

This summer, I have been reading a lot of HuffingtonPost Green, a site I would highly recommend to all of you environmental advocates out there. It is my top way of finding out about policy, analysis, trends, and fun stories connected to the environment.

In honor of today (everyone's favorite day of the week, Monday), I wanted to write about Meatless Mondays, a nonprofit initiative of The Mondays Campaign, in association with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, which is encouraging people to give up meat (at least) one day a week. Their ultimate goal is to reduce meat consumption 15%, a goal that would benefit both the health of the public and of the planet.



The Meatless Monday's website outlines a number of the health benefits from jumping on the bandwagon with this movement.

Health Benefits:

• Reduce Risk of Heart Disease: Plant-based foods have less saturated fat and cholesterol.
• Maintain a Healthy Weight: Most Americans don't get enough fiber, and fiber comes from the bounty of the Earth!
• Improve Overall Quality of Diet: The more (natural) colors, the healthful and vitamin-rich it will be.

Environmental Benefits:

• Reduce Your Carbon Footprint: According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the meat industry emits about 1/5 of total greenhouse gases, putting it ahead of the transportation sector.
• Minimize Water Usage: From 1,800 to 2,500 gallons of water go into a single pound of beef (as opposed to 220 gallons per pound of tofu).
• Help Reduce Fossil Fuel Dependence: About 40 calories of fossil fuel energy go into every calorie of feed lot beef in the US. Plant-based protein, on the other hand, takes only 2.2 calories.

Meatless Mondays is something I would love to see brought to Leo's in the fall. Granted, it is hard to eliminate the meat options, but you could make the vegetarian options more attractive by getting some intriguing recipes.

Lost on what to eat for protein without your meat? There are plenty of options (and not just tofu), don't you worry?

• Tempeh: I like tempeh more than tofu becuase it has a more pleasant texture and a slightly nutty flavor; it's great for stir-frys.
• Edamame: the soybean itself
• Chickpeas: Do you love Middle Eastern food? Try falafel with some hummus.
• Lentils: How about some Indian food? You could try a lentil curry.
• Greek yogurt: Greek yogurt (Fage, Oikos) is delicious and very protein-dense.
• Eggs: Have breakfast for dinner, and make an omelette!
• Cheese: Make a pizza!

These are just some basic thoughts, but I'd suggest going to site above and searching for recipes. You might find something you like!