How green is your orange?

So, a couple of days ago The New York Times published an article called "How green is my orange?" Apparently, Tropicana picked up on the idea that living green is the biggest trend of the 21st century. They decided to hire some consultants to figure out the amount of carbon emissions released for every half-gallon of orange juice they create. I was excited to hear about Tropicana's project. I love orange juice, especially the kind that is not-from-concentrate, which just happens to also be the kind that is not-so-environmentally-friendly. This is because if you buy concentrated orange juice in a frozen canister you can save a ton of packaging waste, but if you buy not-from-concentrate, the weight of the water has to be transported over a zillion miles.

Over the course of my first 3 weeks of attempts to make positive food consumption choices, I had discovered that orange juice causes a few problems. First of all, the best tasting and probably better for your overall health orange juice is not from concentrate (Problem #1 - Transporting excess weight). Secondly, the best orange juice is made by Florida's Natural and they only use oranges from Florida (Problem #2 - Would be great if I lived in Florida and could call Florida's Natural local, but I live really, really far away from Florida). Thirdly, the organic orange juice available in Whole Foods and the Linden Hills Coop is both from concentrate, but packaged just like not-from-concentrate AND it contains oranges from all over the place (Problem #3 - Organic orange juice contains oranges flown here from South America and requires transportation of the extra water weight even though it is from-concentrate).

I am not giving up orange juice. I love it, and I am fairly certain I cannot swallow any sort of pill with any other type of liquid. My OJ is a requirement of my being.

So, back to the Tropicana case. At first Tropicana made me very sad. It turns out a half-gallon of Tropicana produces 3.75 pounds of carbon emissions. To put that in perspective, I biked 20 miles round trip per day to work all summer and I only reduced my carbon emissions by 630 pounds. But then, Tropicana made me very happy. Tropicana said, "...it turned out that the biggest single source of emissions was simply growing oranges. Citrus groves use a lot of nitrogen fertilizer, which requires natural gas to make and can turn into a potent greenhouse gas when it is spread on fields." Now, Tropicana seemed confused. At the end of the article, they stated, "Now, PepsiCo managers said they planned to work with their growers and with researchers at the University of Florida to find ways to grow oranges using less carbon. " And I said to myself, duh, have you guys not read The Omnivores Dilemma? All Tropicana needs to do to cut out practically all of their carbon emissions is grow oranges without using nitrogen fertilizer aka......

Grow them organically.

Life can be so simple.

Priorities, priorities. . .

This is an apology to all of my loyal blog readers (I know you're out there somewhere). I have been in Mexico for the past week. I didn't tell any of you because I was afraid. I know what you're thinking. I just escaped from the Minnesota winter where we've been having sub zero high temperatures for almost 100 hours straight. This is a good thing. But, you say, how can you possibly be trying to save the world, and by eating locally to reduce fossil fuel consumption no less, and still think it is ok to jet set off to the tropics whenever things get too tough around here. Where is my hearty Midwestern background that thrives on matyrdom and suffering?

It is true. One of my biggest struggles in trying to live a more responsible lifestyle is air travel. Air travel is one of the greatest consumers of fossil fuels, and each additional hour flown per years adds hectacres onto my carbon footprint. But, what do I do? I love to travel. There are a great many benefits to traveling. In fact, I would go as far as to say that I wouldn't be trying to live a responsible lifestyle if I hadn't traveled in the past. Travel makes me understand how connected we all are. It has taught me that the flavor of an in season tomato or avocado in Chile really is so much better than those shipped to the U.S. at the same time that I shouldn't bother to eat the pathetic excuse for produce that lines the shelves of my local grocer in the winter. It has taught me both the benefits of and how to use public transit. It has taught me that smaller houses do not actually result in a lower quality of life and can be quite cozy.

So. How do I reconcile flying 5,000 miles with saving the world? The problem is that no one person can engage in every single world saving practice. Also, there is considerable disagreement over what practices actually do contribute to the saving of the world (which is part of the reason this blog exists, to help us all sort through the mucky muck). I think the best philosophy and ultimately the most successful is simple prioritization. There are a lot of things we could do or we should do to make a difference, but sometimes we can't afford to do them all or they directly conflict with eachother. Take a look at your life. Figure out what you value. If the most important part of your daily breakfast is the not-from-concentrate OJ you ship to Saskatchewan from Florida, then finding a local substitute or buying from concentrate OJ is probably no going to work for you. Right now, I drive a 1999 Grand Prix GT. It has a huge V6 engine and the best gas mileage I've ever gotten is 24 mpg. But, I can't afford a new car, especially a brand new Prius or the forthcoming Chevy Volt and I need a car to get to where I'm going on a regular basis. So I keep my car, but I take the bus whenever I can and I ride my bike all summer. You figure out what is important to you, what you absolutely need, and then you try your best to make the rest better.

The Joy of Blogging

Blogging makes you a better person. It holds you accountable for things you plan to do. Eating at tables makes you a better person. It also makes you better at your job.

Eating at desks may be one of the single greatest problems in modern corporate America. Since we already essentially spend 95% of our days in front of our computer screens, you'd think we'd want to get away for an hour and look at something else, even if it is just an orange-painted wall or the table of middle-aged women who lunch together everyday without fail. I used to be a desk eater. I had my reasons, including but not limited to not wanting to clock out when I would probably just be sitting by myself at a table, wanting to leave earlier in the day (which taking no lunch break allows), or simply being too lazy to walk down to the cafeteria when I have a microwave located in the corner of my department. I was reading In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan's most recent book, when he suggested to me that I eat only at tables with the caveat that "No, a desk is not a table." With little else to entertain me during the day, I decided that maybe this table eating thing would have some benefits. After all, Michael Pollan is a pretty smart guy. So Monday I went to eat in the cafeteria. Within 30 seconds, one of my long lost friends in Finance sat down with me. I learned a lot about how he was doing, didn't spill any crumbs in my keyboard, and had FUN. Now I am only on day 3, but I feel like I have an infinitesimally better understanding of my organization than I did last Friday. Also, people have started to tell me things. Secrets. And, if you knew me, you'd know that I love a good secret and consider it one of the defining features of your relationship with me if you're willing to tell me things you wouldn't tell the average Joe.

So, in conclusion, my blog has held me accountable for blogging, eating right, and making new New Year's Resolutions whenever I find something I should probably try doing to make my quality of life better. Eating at tables has, in 72 short hours, made me 37.7% better at my job and increased the quality of 5 of my office relationships. If those stats aren't good enough to convince you to try eating all of your meals at tables, check back in another 24.

The Cost of Living

Why do Americans always want the absolutely cheapest item we can purchase? This obviously applies to traditional Black Friday practices, where we are so motivated by falling prices that we forget about our common humanity and harm others. At least in Black Friday's case, we have been fooled by consistently higher prices the rest of the year that we are actually getting more bang for our buck, a high quality product at a lower price. Black Friday is about value. I'm fine with Black Friday. Though I rarely accompany them, my family heads out every year to grab a few deals, and my brother's big screen plasma TV is a shining example of how he got a high quality product at a great price. Those who know me well would attest to my own love of deals. I shop Nordstrom Rack and TJ Maxx with great relish and return home with leather driving gloves and cashmere sweaters that I paid next to nothing for. Still, here I am purchasing a relatively luxurious item for a discount. I could pay the same price for synthetic material gloves at Wal*Mart, but would never do so because I know that those gloves will not last as long or please me as much.

No, friends, my problem is with those who will pay the lowest price and sacrifice all quality just to save money. Wal*Mart's current tag line is "Save More. Live Better." At first, as a poor college student, I thought it was genius. I could buy cheap things at Wal*Mart where quality was less relevant (in the case of light bulbs, pencils, and dorm room decor), and I would have more money left over to improve the quality of other consumer goods in my life. I was happy with my lot. I noticed, however, that some of my fellow starving students would buy other goods at Wal*Mart where quality seemed more important. Cheap produce was abundant in our SuperWal*Mart, but I still remember the day when my roommate peeled the orange she had just purchased and found the inside covered in mold. Food is essential to the quality of our lives, both in terms of the pleasure found in eating a delicious meal and in the long-term health of our bodies. Food is also kind of like wedding photography. You get what you pay for. You can hire a cheap photographer, but unless your freshman art major roommate is doing you a favor and taking your pics, the important moments won't be captured and your face will look a little fuzzy. The differences are not very distinct with packaged foods. Obviously, if you buy a name brand box of cereal at Lund's, there wouldn't be a difference between the actual product if you bought it at Wal*Mart instead, but in terms of the whole foods that are the best tasting and most healthful anyway, $4 strawberries at Lund's will always be far better than the $2.50 container at Target. Don't even get me started about Aldi. Yes, despite the occasional ecoli outbreak, our food system is actually extremely secure in terms of bacterial contamination. Nevertheless, all food is not created equal. Just as no one can argue that a BMW is equal to a Hyundai in quality, Aldi's food, processed or whole, is not the same as what you could purchase at your local farmer's market. And so I return to my original question. Who decided that food, our lifeblood, the subject that occupied the whole of human life for our first 10,000 years of existence, should be relegated to the bottom of our priority list? How can something absolutely essential to our well-being take the back seat to Blackberries and Nintendo Wiis?

Uh oh...spaghetti-Os!

I haven't posted anything for two days. My older brother, who is currently my only follower, called me on the phone and informed me he was extremely disappointed in me for not caring for my blog. I'm experiencing a little bit of fear. What if I'm not meant to be a blogger? I don't know if I have a valid contribution to the world today (or yesterday or the day before). What if I fall victim to a neverending writer's block?

I think when I can't write, it means I haven't been reading enough.

Beverly Farm Saves the Day!

Once upon a time I was given a book as a gift. That book was entitled Now Discover Your Strengths and it came with a test called the StrengthsFinder. I'm a fan of self-discovery, so naturally I took the test. It spit out several strengths, none of which were a surprise. Among them was the Achiever strength and part of the description informed me I would forever be plagued by "a chronic discontent." Most days I refer to this discontent as boredom, but really it is disappointment in my inability to actually do anything to save the world. My fiance refers to this as my weekly existential crisis, but no matter how much I try to change my way of living to make a difference the feeling keeps coming back. Luckily I like to tell people about everything that is going on in my head (duh, that is why I started a blog). I told my friend Molly about my current lack of fulfillment. It turns out she has been feeling the same way and is applying for a position with Green Corps, which is like AmeriCorps, but it is focused on the environment. As part of the Green Corps application, you have to write an essay about what environmental campaign you would conduct if you had unlimited resources. Molly wanted to know what I would write for my essay. After some brainstorming, I settled on a sustainable agriculture awareness campaign and actual agricultural development combination. Three hours later, Molly called me back and said she had had a brilliant idea while walking her dog. Molly's brother is mentally handicapped and currently lives on Beverly Farm , a planned community for adults with developmental disabilities. Not only is Beverly Farm the name of the community, there are 220 acres of green space. (Light bulb turns on) Residents are encouraged to engage in developmental activities and many have jobs for vocational development. Couldn't the green space be converted to actual organic farmland, gardening be offered as one of the vocational development opportunities, and the organic fruits and vegetables be both consumed by residents to provide them with nutritious meals and sold externally through a CSA or local coops? It sounded like a pretty good way to start saving the world...now we just need to write the grant...

Nothing. It's what's for dinner.

So it is Friday and Day 2 of my New Year's Res to avoid the evils of out-of-season, 10000 miles traveled produce consumption. Unfortunately for me, I live in the northern tundra. Normally I preach the joys of four distinct seasons and the appreciation of each season's distinctive qualities whenever someone questions why I would choose to live in Minnesota when I am an adult who is free to go wherever I please. Those were the days when I would bring home a ripe pineapple from the grocery store in the middle of January. Now that I am switching to locavore mode, that is no longer possible. From my limited knowledge of my region's growing capabilities, I know not to expect much. Root vegetables are my new mainstay since I neglected to can or freeze anything from my imaginary garden last August. In hopes there might be something else I can eat that I have forgotten, I turn to my handy dandy guide to what's in season. I select January and my long loved state of the union and what does my interactive map tell me? "The growing season is currently dormant here; opt for items from storage, such as apples, pears, and root vegetables." Dormant seems a little bit harsh, like all of the potential food I could be eating decided to hibernate with the black bears for the winter. In order to avoid panic, I start to strategize about my future. What you may not know is that I am moving to Texas for the summer, and possibly for the next 3-5 years. Praying that a quick glance at my next state of residence will at least give me some optimism for my future (if I can survive my meager diet of pear and root casserole for the next 5 months -- nothing comes into season in Minnesota until late May). Lo and behold, Texas currently has 10 produce items in season. That sounds great for 2010, but it still doesn't solve my current problem: What to make for dinner tonight?

And in the beginning, there was Tony...

The other day while I was at work, I discovered Penelope Trunk's blog by using my supreme information seeking research skills. After reading a couple of her posts, I decided she must have written it specifically for me and resolved to do everything she told me to do. Obviously, this would result in a long and successful life for me. One of the first things Penelope told me to do was to start my own blog. This would put me in a prime position to be successful in my chosen field as it would mean I was such an expert that I could provide valuable insights for other people to read and learn from, or so Penelope says. Because Penelope is a genius, she also provided a guide to starting my own blog. Step 1 seemed easy enough. I was supposed to ignore blogging buzz words. I'm a Millenial, but I barely passed the test, so I didn't know what any of them meant. This made them very easy to ignore. Unfortunately, step 2 required me to pick a topic.

I was stumped. I've filled journals with my thoughts over the years, but sometimes my propensity to jump from topic to topic makes me think I really might be Abstract Random. How would I ever decide what to focus all of my posts around?

Luckily, my house has recently become a commune. In addition to the presence of Angel and Michelle living upstairs, my roommate Laura's husband is in the process of moving in. That makes 5 adults living in a 1500 square foot space. This is all bad news for the one bathroom we have, but it is good news for my blog. Tony (the husband in question) is your typical idea man. Yesterday we strategized over a potential business model for a "green" shipping company that would operate on the same level as FedEx. Perhaps that idea will never come to fruition, but this morning when Tony was making eggs for breakfast (another fabulous benefit of his moving in), I was talking about my New Year's Resolution of only purchasing local, organic food. Genius Tony suggested my blog theme detail my foray into my new lifestyle and here I am.

Happy New Years and God Bless Us Everyone (especially Tony)!