For some reason since I began this project my attention has really focused on food. This might be because the only "new" items that I am allowed to buy are things that I eat so I devote a lot of attention to the wide variety of options. Naturally I have become much more observant of the role that food plays in culture and the waste that can accompany our consumption of edible items. Just this morning, Steady J took a bike ride to the Co-op to get a cup of coffee and while there he ran into a friend of his that delivers artisan bread for a local bakery. This friend said that the bakery always produces more than the stores can sell and gave Steady J two loaves of sliced wheat bread, two packages of European style panini rolls and a loaf of kalamata olive bread, which were probably worth about $30 total. It was a super score! Apparently any unsold bread the bakery ends up with is given to birds (I don't know if this means it is fed to chickens or used to rehab birds at the Audubon society). We're supposed to call this magical bakery delivery man (A.K.A. The Muffin Man) when we want more free bread. Sounds good to me!
Fueled by a few slices of olive bread, I headed down to the Corvallis farmers market to load up my bike basket with produce. While I perused the stalls I noticed that the Oregon State University Master Gardener organization was advertising free vegetable starts if you participated in something called Plant a Row for the Hungry. Plant a Row for the Hungry is a national program in which community members commit to planting an extra row of food crops in their garden to donate to local food banks. Some people don't plant an extra row and instead commit to sharing their bumper crops! What gardener doesn't end up with extra garden produce? Instead of hoisting it on your neighbors or co-workers, you can drop off your produce so that it can be included in the food packages for hungry families. Low income families and individuals often have to chose between buying cheap food or buying healthy food. This program is a great way to bridge the gap and get more nourishing foods to the people who would not generally have access to them. Anyone who signed up at the market to donate produce was given free vegetable starts and I received two baby winter squash to plant. I think this is a great idea! But it made me wonder why that lovely local bakery who gives their extra bread to birds is not giving their bread to hungry humans in the community.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Kleenex: Disposable weakness in a Pop-up box
On of my BFFFGS (Best Friends Forever From Grad School) sent me the link to a new product that is supposed to revolutionize the way you dry your hands at home. The Kleenex Disposable Hand Towel is a one use "cottony soft" hand towel, packaged in a decorative cardboard "Pop-Up" box that can either sit on your counter, or be wedged in your towel rack. Kleenex explains the need for a disposable hand towel on the product page,
"People in the U.S. dry their hands on cloth bathroom towels approximately 200 billion times a year. The CDC guidelines for hand washing recommends hand drying with a single-use towel. Families have not had a practical alternative to traditional cloth hand towels in their home bathrooms… until now."
200 billion is a lot of hand drying and that number probably does not take into account the alternative drying methods of "wiping your hands on you pants" or "shaking them dry". Apparently, Kleenex also seems to forget that rolls of paper towels have existed for decades and have proved to be practical, albeit environmentally unfriendly, alternatives to cloth towels on many occasions.
Delving further into the product descriptions you learn that Kleenex is in fact doing the public a great service by providing us with these disposable options. You see, "hands are only as clean as the towel used to dry them". If that cloth towel is not perfectly clean, we might be exposed to the dreaded "germs!" and apparently humans just don't know how to handle those sorts of things. What's funny is that we used to know how to handle lots of germs. Our immune systems were strong because we grew up fighting germs and building a resistance. Now we as a society spend billions of dollars each year to destroy anything we think might make us sick and that is not necessarily a good way to operate.
A few weeks ago I listened to an episode of This American Life on NPR and it was about a man who suffered from horrendous allergies. He was pretty much allergic to everything: grass, tree pollen, cats, dust, etc. and to make things worse, he was a professional landscaper which meant that his days outside were torture. The man spoke of looking like death, with dark circles under his eyes and lethargy on a permanent basis. One day this gent heard something interesting - people in developing countries do not suffer from allergies the way that people living in developed countries do, yet they are exposed to many of the same allergens. What these developing countries do have are parasites - like hookworm. Apparently, these hookworms, which live in your gut, are able to shut off the immune response to them in order to stay living in the host with little issue (it is believed that humans and hookworms evolved together and had a symbiotic relationship for thousands of years). When hookworms shut down the immune response, your body is also unresponsive to allergens, meaning that you still might be allergic, but you won't have the symptoms. This man was so miserable that he went to Senegal and infected himself with hookworm and low and behold, has not had allergy symptoms since. This really isn't as bizarro as it sounds - Treatment of autoimmune disorders with parasites is referred to as "Helminthic Therapy" and it is being researched in the UK for allergy treatment and also Crohns Disease and Celiac Disease.
Getting back to disposable hand towels, I feel like Kleenex and every other company that makes products meant to shield us from common germs and parasites and bacteria are doing us a great disservice. While improved sanitation practices, such as hand washing with soap, has saved countless lives, the extent to which we now go to destroy all germs and bacteria is actually weakening us. The Hygiene Hypothesis is an idea that lack of childhood exposure to germs sets us up to have weak immune systems and I completely believe it as there is now an entire generation of youth in this country that thinks that hand sanitizer is a necessary as soap, yet they are hacking and wheezing in my office on a weekly basis. The other thing that Kleenex is doing that I find infuriating, is provide us with more things to throw away. This world does not need another paper product created to throw away after one use. I for one will keep facing the germs on my cloth towels if it means that I can see a few more trees and a smaller landfill.
"People in the U.S. dry their hands on cloth bathroom towels approximately 200 billion times a year. The CDC guidelines for hand washing recommends hand drying with a single-use towel. Families have not had a practical alternative to traditional cloth hand towels in their home bathrooms… until now."
200 billion is a lot of hand drying and that number probably does not take into account the alternative drying methods of "wiping your hands on you pants" or "shaking them dry". Apparently, Kleenex also seems to forget that rolls of paper towels have existed for decades and have proved to be practical, albeit environmentally unfriendly, alternatives to cloth towels on many occasions.
Delving further into the product descriptions you learn that Kleenex is in fact doing the public a great service by providing us with these disposable options. You see, "hands are only as clean as the towel used to dry them". If that cloth towel is not perfectly clean, we might be exposed to the dreaded "germs!" and apparently humans just don't know how to handle those sorts of things. What's funny is that we used to know how to handle lots of germs. Our immune systems were strong because we grew up fighting germs and building a resistance. Now we as a society spend billions of dollars each year to destroy anything we think might make us sick and that is not necessarily a good way to operate.
A few weeks ago I listened to an episode of This American Life on NPR and it was about a man who suffered from horrendous allergies. He was pretty much allergic to everything: grass, tree pollen, cats, dust, etc. and to make things worse, he was a professional landscaper which meant that his days outside were torture. The man spoke of looking like death, with dark circles under his eyes and lethargy on a permanent basis. One day this gent heard something interesting - people in developing countries do not suffer from allergies the way that people living in developed countries do, yet they are exposed to many of the same allergens. What these developing countries do have are parasites - like hookworm. Apparently, these hookworms, which live in your gut, are able to shut off the immune response to them in order to stay living in the host with little issue (it is believed that humans and hookworms evolved together and had a symbiotic relationship for thousands of years). When hookworms shut down the immune response, your body is also unresponsive to allergens, meaning that you still might be allergic, but you won't have the symptoms. This man was so miserable that he went to Senegal and infected himself with hookworm and low and behold, has not had allergy symptoms since. This really isn't as bizarro as it sounds - Treatment of autoimmune disorders with parasites is referred to as "Helminthic Therapy" and it is being researched in the UK for allergy treatment and also Crohns Disease and Celiac Disease.
Getting back to disposable hand towels, I feel like Kleenex and every other company that makes products meant to shield us from common germs and parasites and bacteria are doing us a great disservice. While improved sanitation practices, such as hand washing with soap, has saved countless lives, the extent to which we now go to destroy all germs and bacteria is actually weakening us. The Hygiene Hypothesis is an idea that lack of childhood exposure to germs sets us up to have weak immune systems and I completely believe it as there is now an entire generation of youth in this country that thinks that hand sanitizer is a necessary as soap, yet they are hacking and wheezing in my office on a weekly basis. The other thing that Kleenex is doing that I find infuriating, is provide us with more things to throw away. This world does not need another paper product created to throw away after one use. I for one will keep facing the germs on my cloth towels if it means that I can see a few more trees and a smaller landfill.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
You Can't Eat Flowers.
Edible landscaping is exactly what it sounds like - planting edible plants in your yard instead of purely decorative plants. In introducing the topic she mentioned that long ago, common folk only planted edible foods on their property. It was the aristocracy that had elaborate flower gardens and big lawns to be enjoyed visually - It was a way to show off how well-to-do you were. After various revolutions, the idea of planting flowers and shrubs purely for visual interest became pretty common for every day people who could now flex their improving social status and depend on buying produce at the market. I would go on to say that the creation of post WWII suburbia got the front yard, particularly the grass lawn, to be seen as an ideal of prosperity. When I was teaching English in China a few years back my students told me about the "Chinese Dream" which was to find a good job, buy a car, own a house with a lawn, and be "lucky in love". Given the population of China, I don't know that it would be possible for everyone to have a house with a lawn, but it was interesting that having a yard with a lawn was seen as something to aspire to.
Despite the fact that people bring their own bags to the store, re-use water vessels instead of buying bottled water and fill their cars with bio-fuel, why are people so hesitant to get rid of their front lawns? If you watch a new house being built, you always see grass seed or turf put down in the front yard as if no one would ever consider not having a sea of green leading to their door. This is funny when you start to think about what a major drag it can be to mow the lawn when there are other things to do. Not to mention the fuel that lawn mowers need and the noise pollution they create. Why is our society so lawn-centric? Are we still trapped in the 18th century mindset that your front yard should reflect your social status? If we were to grow food in front of our houses, would it throw people into a tizzy because they wouldn't have a highly visible indicator of where we are in the social hierarchy?
I think of my Grandpa Muetzenberg when I think about edible landscaping. When I was growing up my parents would plant a vegetable garden in the back yard each year. The front yard was reserved for the decorative flowers and shrubs, purely for aesthetics. I would always be so excited about the flowering plants like snapdragons and Shasta daisies, but I distinctly remember my Grandpa replying, "You can't eat flowers." when we would tell him about our plantings. I used to think that was so harsh! Why couldn't he appreciate the beauty of bright cheerful colors making your home look inviting? What a grump! But now I think I understand. He was ten years old when the Great Depression started and grew up thinking about where his meals would come from. What Grandpa did get excited about were home grown vegetables, berries and fruit. When he would visit in the summer we would pick blackberries, blueberries and cherries and make pies. With a Beefeater martini in hand, he would take a tour of the garden and admire the size of the plants. He saw the beauty in knowing exactly where your dinner was coming from.
My interest in knowing where my food is coming from (Thanks Family!) and avoiding the waste that accompanies packaged foods is what draws me to edible landscaping. To me, it just makes sense to maximize what you can grow for your own use and share with others. And most edible plants are gorgeous! Blueberries have beautiful leaves that change color in the fall. Sunflowers and tomatoes can add the color that I crave around a home. Swiss chard has those great bright yellow, orange, red veins that makes it look festive next to other plants. Some day when I'm a grown up and own a house, I'll have a fully edible yard. And I'll have you all over for dinner.
I think of my Grandpa Muetzenberg when I think about edible landscaping. When I was growing up my parents would plant a vegetable garden in the back yard each year. The front yard was reserved for the decorative flowers and shrubs, purely for aesthetics. I would always be so excited about the flowering plants like snapdragons and Shasta daisies, but I distinctly remember my Grandpa replying, "You can't eat flowers." when we would tell him about our plantings. I used to think that was so harsh! Why couldn't he appreciate the beauty of bright cheerful colors making your home look inviting? What a grump! But now I think I understand. He was ten years old when the Great Depression started and grew up thinking about where his meals would come from. What Grandpa did get excited about were home grown vegetables, berries and fruit. When he would visit in the summer we would pick blackberries, blueberries and cherries and make pies. With a Beefeater martini in hand, he would take a tour of the garden and admire the size of the plants. He saw the beauty in knowing exactly where your dinner was coming from.
My interest in knowing where my food is coming from (Thanks Family!) and avoiding the waste that accompanies packaged foods is what draws me to edible landscaping. To me, it just makes sense to maximize what you can grow for your own use and share with others. And most edible plants are gorgeous! Blueberries have beautiful leaves that change color in the fall. Sunflowers and tomatoes can add the color that I crave around a home. Swiss chard has those great bright yellow, orange, red veins that makes it look festive next to other plants. Some day when I'm a grown up and own a house, I'll have a fully edible yard. And I'll have you all over for dinner.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Dear Mr. President:
Let's talk about oil consumption.
How come a smart man like you is proposing to exploit the North Eastern coastline of the United States, and the Gulf Coast in search of more oil and natural gas? To decrease our dependence on foreign fuels, yet still meet our demand, you say? Sir: you are addressing the wrong portion of that problem. What needs fixing is not our supply chain, but our demand. Cut down on the overall American consumption of fossil fuels and you can automatically reduce our demand for foreign oil. This is not hard to understand.
What would the American people do if the supply was cut before we altered our demand? We would adjust rather quickly. Necessity is the root of invention. Alternative sources of energy abound in this country. I am not talking about solar and wind and wave power either. I am talking about something as simple as harnessing the energy created when kids play on trampolines, and people use treadmills in a gym. Even simpler, I am talking about the fact that walking and cycling become "convenient" when filling your gas tank is no longer a viable economic activity for most Americans. Our grandparents survived the Great Depression by responding to supply shortage with creative thinking and changing their behavior regarding product usage and consumption.
Who knows, the ingenuity that Americans could show might even benefit us in other ways. Small businesses that assist the general public with harnessing alternative energy will have a much better chance of thriving when the big oil companies are not strong arming the market. The benefits would even expand into other areas of the American lifestyle. When people have to walk places, they tend to lose weight. Health care in the United States will be much more effective and affordable for taxpayers when half the population is not facing illness related to obesity and lack of exercise.
There's a word I like to use for your current plan Mr. President. That word is "DUMB". A year and a half ago, when I stood in front of a convenience store and hounded beer seeking college students to register to vote, I would never have thought that today I would see that type of plan emerge from your office. A plan so incredibly flawed I could never have even imagined it when I volunteered at your campaign headquarters in Chicago shortly after you committed to exploring the idea of the Presidency three years ago. Do you understand what I am saying? You have wholeheartedly disappointed me.
I've heard it said that you are just appeasing the GOP with this proposed plan of energy expansion and environmental degradation. Is it worth it? Will the ignorance you have shown of vital East Coast ecosystems and the entire flawed energy supply and demand chain make Republicans any more likely to go along with your future proposals? Probably not. They have their own agenda and it does not appear to include supporting you in the long term. Is this type of energy policy what America needs? Another band aid that does not even address the root of the consumptive illness that is rotting our country? No. We need a policy that first puts a mirror in front of the American people so we can see how we weaken our country by being unwilling to change the way we consume everything.
Good luck to you Mr. President. There is still time for you to make me proud.
Love,
Lillian
How come a smart man like you is proposing to exploit the North Eastern coastline of the United States, and the Gulf Coast in search of more oil and natural gas? To decrease our dependence on foreign fuels, yet still meet our demand, you say? Sir: you are addressing the wrong portion of that problem. What needs fixing is not our supply chain, but our demand. Cut down on the overall American consumption of fossil fuels and you can automatically reduce our demand for foreign oil. This is not hard to understand.
What would the American people do if the supply was cut before we altered our demand? We would adjust rather quickly. Necessity is the root of invention. Alternative sources of energy abound in this country. I am not talking about solar and wind and wave power either. I am talking about something as simple as harnessing the energy created when kids play on trampolines, and people use treadmills in a gym. Even simpler, I am talking about the fact that walking and cycling become "convenient" when filling your gas tank is no longer a viable economic activity for most Americans. Our grandparents survived the Great Depression by responding to supply shortage with creative thinking and changing their behavior regarding product usage and consumption.
Who knows, the ingenuity that Americans could show might even benefit us in other ways. Small businesses that assist the general public with harnessing alternative energy will have a much better chance of thriving when the big oil companies are not strong arming the market. The benefits would even expand into other areas of the American lifestyle. When people have to walk places, they tend to lose weight. Health care in the United States will be much more effective and affordable for taxpayers when half the population is not facing illness related to obesity and lack of exercise.
There's a word I like to use for your current plan Mr. President. That word is "DUMB". A year and a half ago, when I stood in front of a convenience store and hounded beer seeking college students to register to vote, I would never have thought that today I would see that type of plan emerge from your office. A plan so incredibly flawed I could never have even imagined it when I volunteered at your campaign headquarters in Chicago shortly after you committed to exploring the idea of the Presidency three years ago. Do you understand what I am saying? You have wholeheartedly disappointed me.
I've heard it said that you are just appeasing the GOP with this proposed plan of energy expansion and environmental degradation. Is it worth it? Will the ignorance you have shown of vital East Coast ecosystems and the entire flawed energy supply and demand chain make Republicans any more likely to go along with your future proposals? Probably not. They have their own agenda and it does not appear to include supporting you in the long term. Is this type of energy policy what America needs? Another band aid that does not even address the root of the consumptive illness that is rotting our country? No. We need a policy that first puts a mirror in front of the American people so we can see how we weaken our country by being unwilling to change the way we consume everything.
Good luck to you Mr. President. There is still time for you to make me proud.
Love,
Lillian
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