curlytoplaura’s Recent Comments

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  How is it that Grist is running ads for Bob McDonnell for VA Governor??? I am seriously disturbed, as he is a seriously anti-green candidate. I just did a Grist search for both him and Creigh Deeds, his contender, and this post by Brad is the only mention I could find of either of them, so I'm leaving my comment here. Any info for us, Brad?On Obama says ‘It’s hard to say’ why critics of clean energy accuse him of socialism posted 3 weeks ago 1 Response

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  veggie cookbooks

  My favorite veggie cookbook is The Vegetarian Planet. There are also all the Moosewood cookbooks, which are classics. However, I often find that the problem with cookbooks (veggie or otherwise) is that they rely on ingredients that are not possible to "buy local, buy organic, buy from small-scale producers." So even with the best of cookbooks, you have to be willing to substitute. My CSA often includes recipes for their weekly produce in their newsletter, and I suspect it's not the only one. Another reason to support CSA's!On Umbra on shifting to vegetarianism posted 1 year, 1 month ago 19 Responses

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  furs v. synthetics

  I live in Alaska, and my prior attitude about furs (horrified) has given way to uncertainty in the face of a very complex question.  Here are some thoughts. First of all, nothing is better than fur (and other natural materials, like down) in these climates for pure insulating value and comfort.  Second, synthetics generally come from petroleum, which of course has its own sleu of ecological problems.  So some of this dilemma reflects the overarching conflict between whether you support animal rights for the sake of the individual animal or for the sake of broader ecological health.  I generally fall into the latter category, though I also advocate respect for life of all forms.  On the matter of respecting animals, I know plenty of trappers here in Alaska, many with Alaska Native heritage, who believe it is possible to trap animals respectfully, and feel they do so. In the end, I would probably happily wear a fur I had inherited, especially here in Alaska where it's more culturally acceptable.  I think that it's always good to stimulate conversation about complex issues.  I wonder whether such conversation could in turn stimulate the development of "sustainable, ethical" fur farming (or trapping) that might mirror the movement to raise animals for food in respectful, responsible ways.  Just as I eat free-range chicken, perhaps I would wear a free-range mink coat, or one made from furs trapped by someone whose ethics I trust.  (I also totally agree with vagirl's observation about PETA's double standard for homeless people.)On Umbra on (inherited) fur coats posted 1 year, 10 months ago 60 Responses

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  my "local" wedding

  I'm excited to see this column, as I just got married in December in West Virginia and thought carefully about every decision I made, weighing my sustainability goals with other priorities such as family involvement. I really loved the oppotunity to allow my values to be reflected in how I designed my wedding, and most people seemed to enjoy it! To begin, instead of having most of my guests fly to Alaska where we currently live, we held the wedding in my parents' town, a good central location for most of our Eastern seaboard guests, and a place we'd be anyway for the holidays.  We used my mom's church for the ceremony, a local historical hall owned by a non-profit organization for the reception, a local, independent caterer who used mostly locally-grown and seasonal food (except for the smoked salmon and frozen blueberries we brought from Alaska and the ten loaves of bread that my dad baked and, I confess, some California organic spinach), and local Appalachian/Celtic musicians.  I bought my dress on eBay (I don't know and don't care if it was previously-used--it was simple and beautiful and perfect for me), my maid of honor's dress at a local thrift store (same deal), my wedding band from greenkarat.com (I HIGHLY recommend them), dried flowers for my bouquet from a local farmer and roses from organicbouquet.com for corsages and boutineers. I did my own hair and makeup (minimal), and two friends contributed to a spectacular necklace--one made the glass bead and the other mounted and strung it.  I made Alaskan cranberry preserves for reception favors. I also made my invitations with hand-made paper I bought from a small craft store and with calligraphy done by an aunt.  I had another aunt and some cousins provide music at the ceremony.  We didn't register anywhere--our mothers made it clear to guests who asked that we didn't want to accumulate stuff and would rather have money (which I again confess that we used mostly to travel to Peru for our honeymoon--not terribly sustainable, but fun!). We used recycled paper cards from Syracuse Cultural Workers (awesome stuff) for thank you cards. These were largely decisions I could control.  There were others that I had to and could let go for the sake of family harmony, which is actually an important component of "sustainability," if you ask me.  So we had a huge "rehearsal dinner" the night before the ceremony at the most expensive place in town, and my husband wore a brand-new suit that he'll never wear again. But the whole point of a wedding is a succesful merging of two sets of family values. I share all of this not to brag (or complain), but to give ideas to others interested in these topics.  I was extremely happy with our wedding, as I feel I was as true to my values as I could be, and I could not have done it without my parents, husband and other family and friends.  In my ideal world, I'd live in a place with all of my family and friends within walking distance, and we'd grow all of our own food, much like my grandparents did at their farm in Pennsylvania.  Someday...On Umbra on greening your wedding posted 2 years, 8 months ago 11 Responses