Non Toxic Vision

 
Billed as the world’s first carbon-negative coffee when it made its debut seven months ago, Tiny Footprint Coffee is living up to its promise in rebuilding the global environment. With sales of more than 2,000 lbs. of coffee per month, Tiny Footprint estimates it will plant more than 2,000 carbon-sucking trees in Ecuador’s Mindo Cloudforest.

What exactly is Tiny Footprint’s formula for environmental sustainability? It’s all in the math. On average, it takes four pounds of carbon to make one pound of coffee.  With the purchase of its coffee, Tiny Footprint makes a contribution toward the Mindo Cloudforest Foundation to plant new trees. Trees that remove, on average, 54 pounds of carbon from our Earth’s atmosphere.

So, 54 pounds of carbon removal, minus the 4 pounds of carbon it takes to ship and roast Tiny Footprint, equals 50 pounds of ecological goodness that Tiny Footprint drinkers are contributing to the environment with every sip of Tiny Footprint Coffee.
 
In addition to siphoning massive amounts of carbon from the atmosphere, the trees planted through the purchase of Tiny Footprint Coffee will serve an even larger purpose by helping to reclaim a large tract of Ecuadorian Cloudforest lost long ago to deforestation. The Mindo Cloudforest provides sanctuary to hundreds of species of birds and indigenous animals. Managing the Cloudforest's growth and redevelopment will create job opportunities in surrounding communities, easing poverty and improving quality of life.

To learn more about them just go to their site www.tinyfootprintcoffee.com

Alaska's Dark Reality: Salmon vs. Gold Mine

Fotocredit: Michael Melford/National Geographic

"We love our fish!" says Ina Bouker, a Yupik native and teacher from Dillingham who opposes the mine. "The salmon always run. But if their habitat is destroyed, they will not come back."

 

 

Anna, who works in the Communications Division of the Natioal Geographic Society contacted me with information on this amazing article, which was published in their December issue:

"...With all eyes on "Sarah Palin's Alaska", people are seeing the beauty of the Last Frontier...without knowledge of the controversy surrounding a potential mine in Alaska's Bristol Bay that has sparked international concern over what might happen if one of the world's largest copper and gold mines is developed in the home of the world's largest sockeye salmon populations.  Would the mine destroy the fishery by contaminating the water or bring economic benefits to the region?  Given your blog's focus on the environment, would you be interested in National Geographic magazine’s December 2010 article on Alaska's Bristol Bay, “Alaska's Choice: Salmon or Gold,” by Edwin Dobb?..."

Read the entire story on National Geographic

Catch of the Freezer

This article I found today in the Opinion section of the New York Times by Astrid Scholz, Ulf Sonesson and Peter Tyedmers

"...GO local. Eat organic. Buy fresh. Those food mantras continue to make waves among environmentally conscious consumers. But — as is often the case in these climate-conscious times — if the motivation is to truly make our diets more earth-friendly, then perhaps we need a new mantra: Buy frozen..." Read the entire article

Tuna or no Tuna....

A past edition of UTNE Reader includes an article called "Fish or Foul" - I recommend this one for all fish lovers out there. Yes, we all know it is the healthy choice - or is it?
According to the article buying fish is not so easy. For example:
Tuna: is a confusing term for many kinds of fish. The larger, longer lived species, among them albacore, bigeye, and yellowfin, tend to be dangerously high in mercury. A single six-ounce can of albacore or white tuna, can exeed the EPA's mercury limit by 30 %. Canned "light"tuna is a better choice. If you can be certain that the bigeye or yellowfin is caught by troller or hook and line, eat it in good conscience. Here is a great website to calculate your mercury intake: www.gotmercury.org

Here is a list of fish that are OK to eat:
Anchovies, Arctic char, Halibut pacific, Herring, Jellyfish, Mackerel, Mullet, Mussels, Oysters, Pollock, Sablefish, Sardines, Trout

Fish you should never ever eat:
Bluefin tuna, Chilenean sea bass, Cod atlantic, Dogfish, Grouper, Halibut atlantic, Monkfish, Orange roughy, Sharks, Skates, Sole atlantic, Tilefish

My Thoughts on Organic Foods

How important is it to you to be able to buy organic strawberries from Chile in January? While I totally support buying organic produce I support buying local even more. By buying organic non-seasonal produce you create lots of carbon dioxide. Sure you can buy yourself a green consciousness with carbon dioxide offset vouchers. But what is the point of being sustainable and Eco-minded? In my mind it is about being aware of your local surrounding. Well in winter - living in the northeast means - eating a lot of pumpkins and cabbage. I order my produce from Urban Organics. They assure the support of local organic farmers. In our household we now have fun finding new recipes on how to prepare pumpkins etc.

Harlem Renaissance

Manhattan's epicenter of hip is migrating north, thanks to a wave of new restaurants, shops, and hotels. Among them is the organic Chinese restaurant Ginger. A new restaurant at Harlem's first ecofriendly building.

Ginger Restaurant, 1400 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10079 T: (212) 423 1111, www.gingerexpress.com