Non Toxic Vision

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