Monday A La Mode

As promised previously, I've got some interesting tidbits to share with you that I've discovered recently. So here's the dish for today -


IN THE NEWS:

• The President of the United States will be speaking at 1:35pm EST on Tuesday, June 25, about his new plan to address climate change. Don't miss this! See the video he released below.

MOVEMENTS TO FOLLOW:

• What is slow food? Put simply, it's the opposite of fast food. Learn more about the Slow Food movement and join Slow Food USA as well as your local chapter. My local chapter has potluck dinners and other meetings, as well as our own facebook page and website. While you can donate as much or as little as you like, I joined Slow Food USA via their $5 challenge. Check it out by clicking here. 
• Moms Across America is organizing 4th of July marches against GMOs in America. For more info or to join Moms Across America, join a march, or even organize a march in your town, just click here. 
• The Story of Stuff is an online community of problem solvers that lets you weigh in on issues that matter to you. Take a stand for a "sustainable and just planet" while you participate in study programs, sign petitions you support, or just keep up with current issues. Join by clicking here. Watch the video below about bottled water in our National Parks and then head on over to sign their petition to stop National Parks from selling bottled water by clicking here. 

FRUGAL RECIPE ALERT!

• You may know that I am feel strongly about food being wasted. I believe in checking the fridge for leftovers and fresh food that's near spoiling before I plan a meal. For a great way to turn leftover rice into a sweet treat (there's also a savory option if you prefer), click here to try this recipe for calas, a traditional cajun snack that used to be sold by street vendors in New Orleans. 

LOW CARB REAL FOOD RECIPE:

• No guilt here! This recipe is great for your low-carb diet and it's all made from scratch. Remember to buy all of your ingredients locally if at all possible! Click here to get Rachel Ray's recipe for Lamb Burgers on Fennel Salad. 

DID YOU KNOW...

• According to a recent article from Reader's Digest, before WWII all crops were organic. Farmers had not yet begun to use pesticides, herbicides, or chemical fertilizers. To read the complete article online, complete with a slide show, click here. 
• Recycling is great, but repurposing is even better. Before you throw anything in the recycling bin, think about how you might be able to re-use it and save a little money in the process. Example: Plastic containers filled with sand, salt, rice, etc., make great dumbbells! Fill two matching containers and weigh on a food scale or bathroom scale (depending on the desired weight) to be sure they are even. Remove any labels and use a permanent marker to write the weight on the outside of each. This is great for any container that has a handle or is small enough to wrap your hand around including 20 oz drink bottles, dishwasher or laundry detergent bottles, and cooking oil bottles.



Tea Tree Oil

• Tea Tree Oil is kills bacteria and fungus naturally so it's a great ingredient for homemade bath and skincare products. Bonus: I love the way it smells! Also look for it in organic or natural store-bought products as a natural alternative to chemical anti-bacterial agents. Other natural anti-bacterials include honey, thyme, lavender, rosemary, peppermint, orange oil, lemon oil, grapefruit oil, and lemongrass. 
• There is an easy and natural way to clean the inside of your microwave. Fill a microwavable bowl with a solution of half vinegar and half water. Microwave on high for two minutes. Next, dip a sponge in the same solution (be careful, it may be hot) and use it to wipe away the grime. 

I love to read your comments. Let me know what you like, how you feel, and if you have any suggestions for Monday A La Mode. Did you learn anything?  Please share with your friends using the buttons below for Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google! Thanks!

More Areas at Risk Due to Global Warming

I stumbled upon this article this morning. I was not surprised to learn that more and more areas are becoming flood zones due to climate change, but the information is disturbing nevertheless. Check out this map from MotherJones.com showing projected change in flood hazard between now and the year 2100 in the United States or find the full article by clicking here. 

Global Warming Is Not A Priority For the US Government

freedigitalphotos.net

Many nations around the world have made significant changes and have drawn up specific guidelines to limit their impact on global warming. The United States is not one of them. Known for many years as a world leader, the U.S. cannot seem to grasp the urgency of climate change. This is happening now! And for those that would shrug your shoulders and say "not in my lifetime so I'm not worried about it," that has now changed according to a disturbing article published by the New York Times over the weekend. 

In the meantime, don't wait on the government to tell you how to limit carbon emissions. Get to work on this issue yourself. Many small actions add up to a significant difference and that's what is needed to really make an impact on the rate of global warming. 

• Open the blinds and turn off the electric lights during the day. 
• Use cold water instead of hot whenever possible. 
• Buy products with less packaging. 
• Drive or bike when you are going a short distance, and carpool when possible if you need to go further. 
• Consider living closer to work or school.
• Be sure televisions and other electronics are turned off and unplugged when not in use.
• Plant a tree or some shrubbery...anything with leaves.
• Plant a vegetable garden or buy locally grown produce only.

These are just a few suggestions and all are easy. Don't think you can't make a difference because you can. Set an example for those around you. Explain to them your reasoning when they ask why you do it. 

Click here to read the New York Times article about global warming. I'd love to hear your reaction in the comments section below. Have some simple suggestions for limiting carbon emissions at home? Post those below also. I want to know!

Earth Day 2013

Happy Earth Day! What are you doing to celebrate Earth Day today? What do you do every day to be friendlier to the Earth? I'd love to know! Tomorrow I will be sharing some of your answers! Comment below with your Earth Day activities and send your friends to share theirs.

Also, have you added your photo to The Face of Climate Change? Earthday.org is using the photos to build a mosaic of faces, showing our country's leaders how many people support and take action to slow climate change and that this is a priority! My daughter is getting extra credit in science if she completes uploads a photo and story today. See the constantly evolving mosaic here.

Lastly, use Earth Day as a chance to speak up about topics your friends, co-workers, and family may not usually hear you talk about. Ask what they are doing? Tell people what you are doing and what concerns you. Make your facebook status about something green you've done lately or tweet about your Earth Day plans!

I is for Insects

Yes, insects. Scale insects to be more precise. Scale insects are parasites that live on trees and are not directly harmful to humans. So why do we care? Well... 

Increases in scale insects in urban areas has been noted and could not be explained. Until now. According to Emily Meineke, a scientist in Raleigh, North Carolina, her recent study discovered that urban warming is responsible. Urban warming is a term that describes higher temperatures in cities than in rural areas. Meineke's report states that urban warming can be used to see the potential effects of global warming. 

"Since urban warming is similar in magnitude to global warming predicted in the next 50 years, pest abundance on city trees may foreshadow widespread outbreaks as natural forests also grow warmer." 

What does this mean for us? We can expect to see widespread increase in the population of these parasitic insects over the next 50 years if global warming continues on its current trend, which will be detrimental to trees that provide sustenance and habitat for the animal population. Mass extinctions of animal species would disrupt the natural predator/prey relationships in nature and create further problems. It's a trickle-down effect.

In a nutshell: If scale insect populations continue to increase as temperatures rise, a chain reaction begins that will ultimately effect all of us. 

To show you care about climate change, visit these sites and make your voice heard:

• The Face of Climate Change : Upload a photo to the mosaic to show you care.
• Climate Counts : Find out how companies are responding to global warming. Email one or more companies to congratulate them or tell them how disappointed you are.

Click here for a full list of my posts and a list of participating blogs in the 2013 A to Z Challenge!

E is for Earth Day

I love Earth Day. It's like one day every year when everything I do to try to be more earth friendly suddenly stops getting criticized and people stop to listen. Instead of rolling their eyes, my rants seem to make sense to other people. At least one day out of the year, I win. Ha. On this day my way will be the right way! We will recycle and we will plant things and we will think about our choices more. So I take full advantage of Earth Day. While people are thinking about it, jump on in and give them something more to think about!

Let me share some news about Earth Day 2013. I hope you will pass it on!

• Check out the website! www.earthday.org is working year round to make a difference, but they work especially hard to get the attention of the world on Earth Day each year. And while you're there...
• Upload your photo at "The Face of Climate Change" and show the world you care! Let's join together to show that we are ready and willing to do what it takes to slow down or stop global warming! 
• Then head on over to "A Billion Acts of Green" to pledge your act of green! Whatever it is, just pledge to do one green thing in honor of Earth Day 2013! Or check out events that are happening for Earth Day and join one!

I will posting my photo on The Face of Climate Change and I will share it with you when I do. I pledged last year in A Billion Acts of Green to keep my garden totally organic and I did! This year I am trying to organize a 5K fundraiser in honor of Earth Day to help the downtown revitalization project here in my hometown. If it goes as I hope, everyone will plant a flower or tree downtown after crossing the finish line!

What do you have planned for Earth Day?

Click here for a full list of my posts and a list of participating blogs in the 2013 A to Z Challenge!

C is for Climate

Click here for a full list of my posts and a list of participating blogs in the 2013 A to Z Challenge!

Climate change is a very real and serious concern. The world is warming and that could eventually come with catastrophic consequences for humankind. We know how to slow it down, but many individuals and companies choose instead to ignore the warnings. After all, ignorance is bliss. 

Recently I found a great website called climatecounts.org that rates companies on their reaction to climate change. The site allows you to search a company name or browse businesses by company, sector, brand, or product type. Having grown up in the Carolinas drinking, I typed in PepsiCo first. A window opened that gave me a numerical score for the company out of 100 possible points, a description of what they are doing well or could do better, and whether they are "stuck", "starting", "striding",  or "soaring" in their efforts to reduce global warming.

On the Climate Counts website, individuals can also use a tool to rate their "shopping cart" to see how their purchasing power contributes to climate change. When we buy products from companies that are refusing to make changes, we are telling those companies that it doesn't matter. As consumers, we do have the power to influence their decisions!

Another feature I love on climatecounts.org is the clickable link that allows you to send an email to a company of your choosing to let them know you are watching their Climate Counts score. What a great way to remind these corporations that we are on to them and that environmentally conscious consumers will not support companies that ignore climate change!

You can also download their i-Phone app, follow them on Twitter, like their Facebook page, watch videos about the climate crisis, and more. They even have their own blog that you can follow that has some great articles (maybe leave a comment to thank them for what they are doing and/or that MMC sent you. Head on over to check them out by clicking here.