Comments Heidi has made

Perhaps...

d41295 is a member of this group:
Oregonians in Action?

http://groxie.com DIY Environmentalism

American water consumption

It's so hard to imagine what it would be like to go without adequate water.  I recently tried an experiment to reduce my water consumption to that of someone in India or Africa, and my biggest downfall was my food and drink.  It wasn't hard to reduce my use for cleaning and bathing with careful timers and conservation.  But my (soon to be eradicated!) caffeine addiction meant that I couldn't go the week without a couple cups of tea.

When I looked into the amount of water that goes into processing beverages, I was amazed.  The numbers were so big - I had to have a visual representation to really wrap my mind around them.  I coulnd't find one, so I made it.   If anyone's interested, it's at
http://water.groxie.com

The next time you start thinking about water conservation, don't forget these hidden water users!

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Developing a New Standard?

It's true that GDP is a notoriously flawed measurement.  The Valdez oil spill is a good example of an event that boosted GDP measures but was obviously not a positive thing.  

Is there another way?  A measurement that includes growth stats as well as well-being measurements?  Why don't we use the most comprehensive tools possible in examining growth instead of focusing on a small, more easily manipulated figure? I see these studies from everyone but the government...

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GMO Invasives?

I admit that I don't know nearly enough about GMO foods, but I am under the impression that they would threaten native species the same way invasives do.  Is that correct?  

The idea of open source tech for GMO does sound infinitely more appealing than the current set-up, but if the side effects include slowly wiping out native vegetation, I imagine environmentalists would still stand in opposition.

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The problem with the MSM

My husband and I have been talking about this a great deal lately.  Our conversation usually centers around the fact that the news is story based instead of trend based.  So instead of hearing about the declining murder rate or increasing global temperature, we hear about the brutal murder next door and the record breaking cold day.  It's completely absurd, and does a great disservice to the audience.

Does anyone know of any regular old news agencies that do a good job of reporting trends?  I'd love to get my hands (or eyes) on it.  It gets exhausting trying to keep up on my own!

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Thanks once again for a unique story

I feel like we are talking a great deal these days about the intersection of politics and food production, but I had never heard this story before.  

I'm allergic to wheat, so I tend to buy the corn tortillas.  Maybe now I'll begin making my own instead.  Does ADM actually run the entire planet unbeknownest to us?  Will I finally have to begin homesteading to avoid giving them financial support?On How Mexico's iconic flatbread went industrial and lost its flavor posted 3 years, 2 months ago 13 Responses

Passing the buck

I don't eat cows myself, but I still find this damned upsetting.  Granted, it is generally a better idea to know who is raising your food, and I am all in favor of tracking down local farmers who use grass pasture.

But I refuse to just accept that food labels are meant to be meaningless. With so much information being pelted at us, it is very important that consumers be able to use easy-to-identify labels to help them make decisions.  How can the government get away with this?  If the USDA isn't setting standards that are meaningful, then who is?

Is there a letter-writing or lobbying campaign on the horizon?  Do I need to start one?

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Thanks for shedding some light

This is good to know.  I've been considering offsetting plane and car travel, but I've been stymied by confusion over which programs are actually beneficial.  I'll go with Terrapass for now, and I can't wait for other companies to go through this process, too!

http://groxie.com DIY Environmentalism

Wal-Mart trying to be green

I hadn't stopped to think about Wal-Mart this way, but you have a very good point.  I'd like to add that Wal-Mart is attempting to do some very interesting things right now in terms of its ecological footprint.  I have to assume that there must be at least some pressure from its shoppers to provide more organic selection.  

Your comment about the unfair characterization of  "Wal-Mart shoppers, depicted as obese, dim-witted, herd-like hicks" rings true.  Maybe if we can start to give Wal-Mart credit for the changes it is making, some of that goodwill will transfer to Wal-Mart shoppers and change these stereotypes.

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Thank you! And now what?

Wow—I had never even considered this issue from your perspective.  Instead, I become frustrated with myself for my inability to keep up with the seemingly endless barrage of contradictory information that comes my way.  I really do accept as fact that I can't trust the government or various media outlets to provide me with the truth, even when the topic should comprised only of facts!

So now what?  I can't just give up on trying to stay educated, because it is fact that I can't trust the information I am fed.  How can I force these groups into accountability?

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Please?

I third the motion for the whole interview to be posted!

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Organic benefits moot?

How did this turn into a debate about vegetarianism?  And surely, even if you don't eat meat, you must recognize that the cow from the small, local organic farmer is indeed better than the conventionally "grown" beef!  Not just for the consumer but for the cow itself.
I myself don't eat cows, but I do believe that any time a consumer truly considers the source of his food, it's a good thing.  Cows that live on small farms and graze in open pasture are certainly happier and healthier than the cows raised in barns, fed from troughs, with no connection to the natural life of a cow.
I'm not trying to start an argument here; I just believe that we as a community should encourage everyone who makes a movement toward a greener lifestyle.  I don't think it is fair to say that "the benefits of conventional vs. organic are moot" for meat eaters, even if I feel that I have made the right decision to cut meat out of my diet.  On Local or organic? It's a false choice posted 3 years, 6 months ago 9 Responses

Local Environmentalism

Thanks for pointing out this great article.  It pretty well sums up the direction in which I think we're headed.  Local activism just makes more sense than sending all of our time and dollars to D.C.  Each locality has different environmental issues to work through. It's easier to get someone fired up about a problem they deal with everyday than it is to get them to care about a broad, global issue they don't feel they have control over.  

I particularly liked this quote:

"We all want the best for our next generation," says Jim Pillen, co-owner of Wolbach Foods, a hog processing plant in central Nebraska.

He says this as a justification for continuing to support huge hog farms.  Apparently he is incapable of seeing that the money the hog farms bring in will be meaningless to the next generation if their health and their land is already poisoned beyond cure.

http://groxie.com DIY Environmentalism