les violettes » social

conscious shopping for the holiday season and beyond

michele — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 03:51:26 +0000

Cyber Monday has come and gone; Black Friday is now a faint memory. Millions worldwide headed into cyberspace and brick-and-mortar stores to make purchases. Ideas abound on the internet regarding Black Friday aka “Buy Nothing Day.” While Black Friday is over, two posts - Ban Black Friday This Year from Growing a Green Family (found via Vegan Beauty Review) and 7 Reasons to Avoid Black Friday over at Bliss Tree – bring up some good ideas regarding holiday shopping in general. Here at les violettes, there is a plan underway to make more conscious shopping choices for the holiday season and beyond. Why not lend a hand to some worthy causes?

The National Anti-Vivisection Society campaigns to eliminate animal testing in product development, education and biomedical research. The Oceanic Society is as well known for whale watching expeditions as it is for conservation. Animal Legal Defense Fund educates future animal rights lawyers and defends animal rights in court. Amazon Conservation Team focuses on the cultural aspects of conservation. International Vegetarian Union is over 100 years old. Founded in Dresden, Germany in 1908, it’s an international group dedicated to vegetarianism. Charity Water brings drinking water to developing nations that is clean and safe.

American Forests protects our forests and plants trees – the site is worth visiting for the personal climate change calculator and the air quality calculator alone. American Bird Conservancy protects wild birds and their habitats in the Americas. Project Blue is a cause with a plan to save and restore the world’s oceans. African Wildlife Foundation has been around since 1961 and takes a unique approach to protecting and conserving the landscape and wildlife. World Resources Institute is a think tank that uses practical means to balance human needs with environmental concerns. Food Not Bombs serves vegan and vegetarian meals in over 1,000 cities worldwide.

Interested in making a more informed choice about which charity to choose? Try Charity Navigator or American Institute of Philanthropy. Go to either of these sites to evaluate a number of causes. Another fairly new site that supports the charity of your choice is social vibe. It’s currently in beta and works as follows: choose from more than 20 charities; promote sponsors to your social media friends; earn points that result in money for your chosen cause.

There are vegetarians who go to food banks. Why not donate some vegan food items or money earmarked specifically for vegetarian meals? Feeding America (formerly Second Harvest) could use your help. Operation Blessings assists with a variety of programs including clean water, medical aid and hunger relief.

Short on money? Get together a group of friends, neighbors, etc. and each donate $2-$10 to the organization of your choice.

Really short on money? Volunteer some time (even if it’s two hours) at your favorite organization.

Really short on money and time? Make a techie contribution via sites that donate based on a daily visits to a page with a list of sponsors or puzzles and trivia games. Some of my favorites are: Greater Good, Help Thirst, Free Poverty and Free Kibble.

Rather than going to retailers, visit your favorite museum. You can also support them by taking out a membership or making a purchase at the gift shop. Many museums have one-of-a-kind, eco-friendly and fair trade items.

Some retailers have the option of making a donation to charities or even donating part of your purchase.

Purchase one special gift for you; buy one gift for someone special; make one donation to charity.

Most importantly, have a conscious and enjoyable holiday season!

What are your conscious shopping plans?

what is missing? – maya lin x 2

michele — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:36:26 +0000

Maya Lin needs no introduction. The subject of an award winning documentary, “Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision,” a member of The American Academy of Arts and Letters and the National Women’s Hall of Fame, she is one of the great artists of our time. Lin, a dedicated environmentalist, works at the intersection of art and architecture. Her most recent (and possibly last) memorial is titled “What Is Missing?” Dedicated a few months ago at the California Academy of Sciences, it’s her first media-based memorial.

For this multifaceted, ambitious work, Maya Lin approaches her favorite subjects: science, nature and art with a high-tech, high-touch sensibility. Several plans are in the works for “What is Missing?” Lin has committed to the evolution of this work over time and place – sites will include: San Francisco, New York City, Beijing, Washington D.C. and cyberspace – until 2020. Media and installation projects incorporate: a recently completed sound cone sculpture in San Francisco, a billboard for Times Square, an expanded website, a traveling exhibit starting in Beijing, both a virtual and physical book, a sound sculpture, a projected light sculpture, limited edition glass castings of animals and a virtual online map – the greenprint. If only there could be more public art projects such as this.

The process and research for this memorial has taken place over several years. Working with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, National Geographic Society, ARKive among others, data, images and sounds of species, habitats and locations have been compiled to create this accessible yet complex public art project.

What are some of the themes explored? Certainly a sense of what is occurring and a true perspective on the resulting impact. As Dr. Gregory Farring, Director of the California Academy of Sciences states, these themes “… they encourage people to think about the world and their responsibility to it.” The Academy’s mission is to ask two basic questions: “Life – How did we get here?” and as part of the “challenge of sustainability – How are we going to find a way to stay?” Maya Lin explores biodiversity, habitat destruction, fragile and exploited ecosystems. Effective and current, ephemeral and timeless, ask yourself what is missing?

golden gate national park

michele — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 03:44:55 +0000

Golden Gate National Recreational Park needs no introduction. At 75,000 acres, this public land for eveyone. Today you get an incredible treat! Watch incredibly beautiful scenery as you discover more about the creation of Golden Gate National and how it has evolved over time.

the story of stuff

michele — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 04:23:29 +0000

Recently, you had the chance to check out the post on “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch.” Now let’s talk about stuff and a few ideas about it. Influenced by planned obsolescence and scarcity, industry will have to come up with new ideas that take into account waste reduction and sustainability. Many industry innovators believe that we must move to a service/product economy. This goes for designers, manufacturers and you and I. Enjoy “The Story of Stuff” and “The Landfill Designers.”

“The Landfill Designers” is an audio production of the BBC. Please click here to listen.

national farmer’s market week

michele — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 06:31:26 +0000

Here in the U.S.A. we are right in the middle of the National Farmer’s Market Week. This August 2 – 8, 2009 marks the 10th annual celebration of the more than 4,800 farmer’s markets here in the United States. More than 94% of all farms are what the U.S. government refers to as Small Farm Operators (those with receipts of less $250,000 years and are operator owned and managed). In addition to supplementing the income of farmers, farmer’s market provide a much needed community service to those who many not have fresh fruits or vegetables readily available in their area. Special programs for seniors and WIC (Women, Infants and Children) are also available at many of the markets.

Three of my favorite farmer’s markets are the at the Ferry Building in San Francisco, the Lake Merritt market in Oakland and the Downtown Berkeley market. So many tasty treats! For a list of local food sources go here. If you would like to add a farmer’s market to your area, go to Growing for Market for advice and resources. For management resources and seller locations go to Manage My Market. To find out more:

Farmer’s Market Hotline: 1-800-384-8704
Farmer’s Market Coalition: http://www.farmersmarketcoalition.org
American Farmland Trust: http://www.farmland.org/
Center for Urban Education and Sustainable Agriculture: http://www.cuesa.org/
The Inadvertent Gardener’s blog: http://www.theinadvertentgardener.com/
Food Routes: http://www.foodroutes.org/
U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service: http://www.ams.usda.gov/WholesaleFarmersMarkets

greenwashing and eco facades

michele — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 05:51:07 +0000

This is a tongue-in-cheek animation short on the some of the absurdities of “greenwashing” by those companies who would exploit the “green movement’ in any way possible.

it’s moby!

michele — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 04:51:37 +0000

Since I’m on a roll here with the fun food videos, how about a few short pieces with vegan musician Moby?

More with Moby sharing a few of his favorite kitchen tools. Cool – except for his preference for microwaves. Yes, they may use less energy than a standard stove and preserve a few nutrients, but microwaves also change the structure of food in a way that may well be quite unhealthy.

Didn’t expect to see Moby on Epicurious did you? Well there’s time for one more, a recipe for vegan pancakes.

food justice, community and equality 2 by bryant terry

michele — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 20:59:58 +0000

As many of you know, today – July 17, 2009 – is “Bloggers Unite for Human Rights” day. While the focus of this particular day is censorship, torture, journalistic freedom and crime among others, food is a crucial element in equality and human rights. Megacorporations, GMOs, the uneven distribution of food and food resources the list goes on. So… how about an example of local, community-based healthy food that is locally grown and also vegan! Are you are familiar with Oakland, California based Bryant Terry? Terry is a soul food chef and a community leader in the “food justice” movement.

Bryant Terry’s philosophy:

Now for a recipe.

nature = wealth$$$?

michele — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 04:47:57 +0000

Kqed.org recently had a radio show on the a project based at Stanford University. Here’s a 5 minute clip about a joint project between Stanford, the World Wildlife Fund and the Nature Conservancy.

raw foods revolution

michele — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 05:20:30 +0000

A few years ago, I had the fortunate opportunity to have a meal prepared by Cherie Soria and her students from the Living Light Institute. She’s a warm and caring person with a wealth of knowledge and talent. Cherie Soria along with her teacher Dr. Ann Wigmore are frequently referred to as the godmothers of the raw food movement. In these videos divided into two parts, she discusses the types of raw “foodists,” health considerations, as well as some tips about preparing and eating raw foods. You’ll find some detailed information about the raw lifestyle. In future posts, I’ll try to find some video and recipes from some of the raw foods chefs trained by Cherie Soria. For now, enjoy this video series!

Part 1: Raw food philosophies

Part 2: Dietary considerations

Did you enjoy the videos? Did you learn anything? (I did.) Guess what? There’s more. Interested in a few recipes? Find them at the end of an interview from Vegetarians in Paradise.