Green Voyage II - The Hidden Green

In my research of organic food, I heard a lot of talk about how organic food is expensive and some of it is. However, a lot of it is not so expensive.

We live in the Arctic where produce is hard to get, so for two years we have been subscribed to a CSA farm which sends us a box a week by plane. So nearly all of our produce is organic. We have virtually eliminated processed food and have become more vegan since we moved to the Arctic, so even where food is VERY expensive our food budget for five is between the USDA Thrifty Plan and their Low-Cost Plan. (It really doesn't take that much work either, I spend about the same amount of time processing produce a week as I do making bread, sauces, and beans, etc.)

I did an extensive calculation of our monthly food usage by ingredients and weight and discovered that we can eat about 60% organic for less than 50 dollars more a month. Most of the other 40% is not even available organically. We are waiting to see if we will be able to switch to a closer CSA. If we do switch, we will probably save at least $50 a month, so it really will not cost us extra after all. Of course, if we could have more than a postage stamp garden...

Eating organic really doesn't have to be that expensive if you eat unprocessed, vegan food.

Saving the earth is not such a cut and dry issue. So it is comforting to me that Carnegie Mellon reported in 2008 that eating vegan one day a week has more impact than eating local every day since transportation only accounts for 10% of food's greenhouse gas emissions. What is good for your heart is good for the earth.

It bothers me that so little talk about being green includes thrift stores, yard sales, home canning, and not eating meat and dairy. These have a greater impact than things that satisfy people's love of spending, convenience, and gluttony. (Meat eating has always been a luxury until this last century.)

Yet the greatest issue to me is people. Though the Bible tells us God cares about how we treat the earth. He told the Jews to let the earth rest (Lev. 25) and castigated them for not doing so

(2 Chr. 36:21). He also says in Revelation 11:8 that he will destroy those who destroy the earth.

But God cares more about people, they are the ones he gave his life for and are the only ones who will be left when the earth is destroyed when he comes. So while, I am not going to ignore environmental issues, I need to devote my energy to my family and the people around us and just enjoy God's green earth and its bounty.

A Green Voyage

Since the beginning of this year I have become more and more concerned about improved our impact on the environment. The oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico only heightens my desire to be very green. But over the past few days, it has struck me that the average American who starts from the perspective of wanting to save the world often misses the boat.

Why do I say that? Because even though I have only recently become serious about being a good steward of the world God gave us, one of the carbon footprint tests I just took calculated our family's carbon emissions to be 33 tons a year. The average American by contrast gives off 130 tons of emissions, four times as much. The site stated that the world average is 27 tons, so we still have some work to do, but we have already done a lot with even trying.

How we did it was by trying to save money and eat more healthy. We have long bought most of our clothes used, in other words, recycled. So when I was researching organic cotton and finding it too expensive, I was happy to see that all of our used clothing makes a greater impact. I still hope that the price for earth-friendly underwear and socks will come down, but for now I will continue to buy recycled stuff. Our energy use is low as we try to walk more to be healthy and use less electricity to save money.

Where we live our own recycling options are limited, so fortunately our bulk buying and unprocessed food choices make it a minor issue. Our most processed foods are saltines, graham crackers, pasta and tortillas. I have ketchup, salsa, taco sauce, and spaghetti sauce recipes that I am going to be using as we eliminate those from our pantry. Take it from a lazy person, making your own breads, sauces, and spreads is not that hard.

I have been researching a switch to more organic foods over the last week. Nearly all our produce is already organic, thanks to a weekly CSA shipment and not having much produce available locally. In my research I discovered that much of the organic food industry food growth has been in over-packaged processed food, meat, dairy and poultry products. This does not help the problem and may be making things worse as some say it takes more land to farm organic animal products.

People need to save themselves from their debt-ridden, unhealthy lifestyles first before they try to save the earth. They will be far more effective and feel better if they do.

A Splashing Good Time

The girls are really enjoying the river this year. Even though we have riverfront, I never took them down to play by or in the water. I guess there were too many other things to do, traveling, berry-picking, bird-watching, gardening. The river level has been very low so we have a bit of beach this year (unlike last year's unusually high water). The girls have been making sand castles, finding snails, and pretending a driftwood log was a ship. I found them some "oars" and we had some fun with them.

I have seen kids playing in the water, but never took the girls because of the mosquitoes and the cold. I just don't relish exposing that much skin just to go in a cold river. Yet today was so hot that I didn't feel like holding the girls back. So we went and the girls really enjoyed splashing around with the other kids. I even got my feet a little wet which felt wonderful until my mosquito bites started to itch.

I can't read this!

I have long ago sworn off watching TV. It just isn't a part of my life and I don't miss it.
I haven't enjoyed popular music for almost as long. You can call me fuddy-duddy, but I am more "entertained" by a sermon or a Christian song. Everything else is just so cheap and meaningless. And I know this God's work in my life.

Last week, I read the Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck despite the feeling that I shouldn't. I feel the worse for having done so. It left me with so many negative emotions. It really was Ecclesiastes "all is vanity" personified. I have decided that I don't need that in my life. Just because you are reading doesn't mean you doing good. Books don't always make you think, but they always make you feel. Naturally, as I have sought a higher state of mind, I have given up murder mysteries and fantasy. But now I am no longer interested in the more "realistic" or historic novels. I have also decided to refuse to read any more celebrity biographies, they have such ridiculous, empty lives. I feel capable of understanding others without reading fiction about the ugliness of life. I can see plenty of that without reading about it for fun in my "free" time.

What I want is Truth which is so much better than reality. Reality can leave you feeling empty and desperate while Truth is full of wisdom and life and love and beauty.

Happy reading,
Verity

Bird Brain

Honestly, I don't know what has come over me. Right now, I am desperate to go walk in the rain so I can determine if the birds I saw yesterday are yellow wagtails or yellow warblers. Warren noticed that the "hopping" flighted ones are yellow. And silly me, all this time, I thought they were white-crowned sparrows because they both are so common here. And it is really starting to bother me that I can't tell what kinds of sandpipers I am see when I am out.

Early this morning, I finally had the wit to use my binoculars in identifying the ducks on my neighbor's dock. After a long consultation with the bird book, and since they had the grace to return for a second look with the girls, I positively identified them as American wigeon. What beautiful birds, I am so giddy! Binoculars are the greatest things since sliced bread, I'll never go leave home without them again!

I fell in love with the swallows first, I can't hear them enough and the way they fly is so amazing. The ravens are so fun to watch on windy days. But seeing snow buntings for the first time felt like my initiation. Next I "bagged" the white-crowned sparrow. The red-necked phalarope was a very interesting addition, the female has the fancy colors. The flock of snow buntings I attracted with bird seed this year was so delightful to watch. Last week I got to see a fierce swallow battle. I think I got a tundra swan yesterday. Sweet!

I know some birds on sight, and can recognize different flight patterns. I am beginning to distinguish bird calls. I start looking up for the raven whenever I hear croaking. But I really must get out and identify that yellow bird.

Sea of Faces

Warren, after trying MySpace and rejecting it for it's ad content, finally tried out Facebook the night before last. He loved it so much, that I joined up too. So we have been very busy since then exploring all the options and finding friends and family. I am very pleased, but the house is a mess so I better go.

See you on Facebook,
Verity

Snow, Beautiful Snow

When the sun finally came up this morning we could see a lot of new snow. I guessed that it was at least three inches. Sure enough, when measured it with my longest finger later, it came out to over three inches. What fun, now we can go sled. If only we had skis.

Playing out,
Verity