farmer’s market on a bicycle

“What’s for dinner?”  That’s the central organizing question for Michael Pollan’s brilliant book on the U.S. food system, The Omnivore’s Dilemma.
And today, I had a spectacular personal experience of the growing alternatives to the mainstream industrial food system that are described in part in the book, and that are being celebrated this weekend in San [...]

Read Full Post »

plastics safety Q&A

I found a Plastics Q&A from the Green Guide helpful in sorting out the confusing world of household (and specifically kitchen) plastics.  Among the topics covered:

Q: Which plastic containers contain bisphenol A (BPA)?  A: Those that say “#7 PC” in the recycling triangle.
Q: Do Brita filters leach harmful chemicals?  A: The short answer is no.
Q: [...]

Read Full Post »

Resurgence of victory gardens

An informative piece, Victory Gardens Symbolize a New Age from NaturalNews.com on the history of victory gardens — like the one in front of San Francisco’s City Hall — and the modern context for its increasing popularity.
Victory gardens are popping up all over. Last seen during World War II, these gardens now represent our fight to regain [...]

Read Full Post »

“local” farmer’s market

I used to drive almost 12 miles round trip, mostly on city streets, to go to a farmer’s market the Alemany Market in San Francisco.  They have a great selection–including organic and pesticide-free farmed–and a festival-like atmosphere I like.  But, not the best choice in terms of overall sustainable for me.  If I lived a [...]

Read Full Post »

Slow Food in San Francisco

This Labor Day Weekend, the Slow Food movement is coming to San Francisco, which means taking the traditional holiday eating to new heights of celebration and examination.
There will be many events that address a variety of Everyday Sustainable aspects of food around the Bay Area, including:

policy (Food Bill Declaration)
Food for Thought Speaker Series, including a panel [...]

Read Full Post »

freeze your ripe fruit!

It’s so sad when beautiful fruit goes bad. And it’s a shame when fruit that’s a bit bruised and damaged goes to waste.
Here’s a nice article about buying seconds (slightly damaged/bruised) fruit and freezing it. The benefits?

Save money on discounted fruit.
Give less than perfect fruit a chance to be admired and loved.
Prevent fruit from [...]

Read Full Post »

Things you should NEVER buy again

I’m not a big fan of lists of MUSTs or MUST NOTs, since I think that it’s difficult to come up with a list that is relevant for everyone.  That said, those little lists that are printed on wallet-size paper are pretty convenient.  I think of them as guides, rather than a definitive list.
So, from [...]

Read Full Post »

Elephant Pharmacy birthday sale

Yesterday I wrote about the accessibility of green products. Well here’s something that helps. 

It’s Elephant Pharmacy’s birthday!!!  It’s a store (a small local chain of stores in this case) that specializes in stocking green and sustainable products, and if you haven’t been yet, this is a great chance to check it out. 
They’re having a fabulous sale this [...]

Read Full Post »

streets for people (not cars)

Sunday Streets are coming to San Francisco!
I grew up in a Chicago suburb that was developed pre-automobile. That meant the streets were narrow and cars could only be parked on one side of the street.  And it meant a cozier more friendly neighborhood than the super wide streets that I saw when I moved to [...]

Read Full Post »

making green products more accessible

I believe that accessibility is one of the keys to sustainability.  If you can’t get it easily because of proximity, cost, or other issues, it’s very likely that a product/service/habit is not sustainable.
My friend started Ecobunga.com on the premise that lots of people would like to live in a way that is more sustainable, more [...]

Read Full Post »