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Showing posts with label earth day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label earth day. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Why I'm Going Vegan for Earth Day

Tips to Go Vegan and Help Environment



Earth Day is an annual, global event, and on April 22nd we're celebrating this occasion in style. Over a billion people participate each year, and we hope many more join in this time.

Updated 3/27/23






My tip is to make a commitment to reuse, recycle, reduce, and repair, remake, refuse, remember, respect, and restore to live more sustainably. 

A special way I pledge to honor the earth is to reduce my carbon footprint even more than I have in the past. My grandson Noah has graciously agreed to guest  blog for me. I am thrilled and delighted to share it. 


Here's his post now.



Why I’m Going Vegan for Earth Day


Tips to Go Vegan to Help Environment


Thanks so much for taking the time to read my guest blog. My name is Noah White and I am one of Nancy’s very lucky grandchildren. 



Noah White Tips to Eat Vegan to Help Environment


In 2018, I graduated from Duke University with a degree in Environmental Science and Policy and I am now living in Oakland, CA where I hold a Master's Degree in Sustainable Solutions from the University of CA, Berkley


While I’ll be going especially vegan for this upcoming Earth Day, it’s actually not the first time I’ve eaten on a strict vegan diet. 

In 2012, when I was training as a competitive runner, I read Scott Jurek’s Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness. Scott, a highly accomplished runner, explained how he made a transition to a vegan diet that improved his overall health and well-being.  

My stint at veganism only lasted for a month in 2012. I've transitioned to a more plant focused eating plan since then.
           
When asked, I tell people that I am a “flexitarian.” Why? Because there’s simply no denying the environmental impact that raising animals for livestock has on the environment and as such, I feel obligated to minimize my consumption of animal products. 

However, realistically, I love going out for Pizza with friends or eating a roast chicken prepared by a loved one, so I stay flexible.
            
What kind of environmental impacts am I referring to? Well, lots actually. According to a report published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the livestock sector generates more greenhouse gas emissions as measured in CO2 equivalent – 18 percent – than transport. Yes. You read that right. If you went vegan, you would conserve more carbon emissions than if you gave up motorized transport entirely.

Greenhouse gas emissions aside, the land use impacts are hard to believe.
In fact, thirty percent of the earth’s entire land surface—a massive 70% of all agricultural land—is used for rearing farmed animals. 

Think of it this way. A third or 33% of the world’s lands suitable for growing crops and directly feeding humans, is used to produce feed for farmed animals and raise livestock.


Our overcrowded and infection-susceptible cities might just be a lot more resilient if we weren’t using so much land for livestock.

With this massive impact in mind, I won’t use any animal products on Earth Day.  And while this impact may be disheartening, I find it comforting to think that consuming less meat and animal products has such a large impact in helping the environment!

So, what will I be cooking? Well, breakfast will be sweet and rich in the form of hazelnut pancakes, using oat milk and hazelnut flour for an added twist. 


I plan on spending Earth Day isolated, in the sunshine, surrounded by greenery, breathing in lots of fresh air. 


However, when I stop for lunch, I’ll probably enjoy one of my go-to snacks. It's a hummus, cucumber, and avocado wrap; so simple, yet so delish. And while I normally enjoy cheese on this wrap, I’ll either forgo it or use some vegan cheese slices. 



At the end of the day, I’ll probably sit down to watch an episode of Planet Earth, with David Attenborough’s silky-smooth voice describing the marvelous natural splendor of our planet. 

For dinner I’ll be chowing down vegan Primavera sauce on homemade noodles I make with my newest favorite culinary device, a pasta maker. 


Happy Earth Day! And remember, a bit fewer animal products can really have a large positive impact for our global community.


πŸ‘Œ
Please comment below and share on social media with a link back to this post. I appreciate your comments and read every one.

In what ways can you treat the environment better this year?

Are you willing to eat more plant-based meals? What ideas do you have for accomplishing that?

From all reports the COVID-19 Pandemic has keep most of us home. It's reduced air pollution, by cutting down the usage of fossil fuel motorized vehicles. 

Can you image how healthy the planet, people, and animals would be, if we ate more plants and less animal products? After all, the livestock sector generates more greenhouse gas emissions as measured in CO2 equivalent – 18 percent – than transport. 


Stay Safe, Be Well, and Go Vegan for Earth Day!

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Monday, April 15, 2019

Awesome Tips to Help You Raise Greener Kids




Want to be a greener family this year? It may be easier than you think. Continue reading to get...


 Awesome Tips to Help You Raise Greener Kids, an Earth Day Roundup Post


Post Updated 9/7/21

Bright green has been adopted by environmentalists to symbolize the planet’s essential need to protect, recycle, grow, and reuse (transform) natural resources. 

Green energy suggests growth, change, and harmony. 

This post is offered to celebrate the planet and help parents and grandparents find new ways to be eco-smart.

Kids learn more from what you practice than what you say. Inspire your offspring by acting greener, and they will emulate you.






1. Do more of your errands on foot or bike, and take kids along. 

2. Reserve time to get outdoors for family interactions. Take in the beauty of nature. If quality is what you're after, leave electronic devices out of the equation.


3. Have fun this year at a family beach party, gather at a picnic table, play sports, relax in the shade of an oak tree, converse, and garden.

4. Appreciate sunlight. It provides a healthy dose of Vitamin D, and shows off the landscape with its flowers and fauna.


5. Help clean up a local park, nature preserve, and community garden. When kids join in to spruce up an area, they relate to nature in a caring way, and are less likely to dump garbage, damage, or destroy vegetation and property. 


Child holding borage flowers
Ashley Adamant's Daughter Loves Borage Flowers

6. Ashley Adamant from Practical Self Reliance, an eco-blog based in Vermont shows us ways to teach kids about herbs

Here's one example of how Ashley helps her kids understand and appreciate nature. 

"Exploring herbs is just part of their everyday life.  Herbs are tangible and easy to understand, even for the smallest of children.  Their young brains are wired for learning and pattern recognition, and the same openness that allows a toddler to learn language also allows them to recognize patterns in the natural landscape." Ashley Adamant.

7. Encourage kids to get involved in growing, tending, and harvesting produce. This increases awareness of where food comes from, improves physical development skills from digging, lifting, watering, etc., and your youngsters will be willing to taste and even savor those veggies and fruits they truly have had a hand in growing. 


8. Read 30 Great Ways to Upcycle and Recycle outgrown children’s clothes. Ideas from Tiffany Taylor at Morning Chores. 

9. Sort through personal belongings and have kids do the same. Recycle books, toys, games, electronic devices, and sporting equipment by giving them to a school or recreational facility. 

10. Marla Gates, the green blogger at Organic 4 Greenlivings provides 3 Tips to Go Green as a Family as You Prep for School.






11. Megean Weldon, the green blogger at No Waste Nerd suggests  5 Easy Things Kids can Actually do to Help the Environment.

One example from this post is:    "Give them (children) their own reusable water bottle, napkin, lunch box, and cutlery. Just like we carry a kit to avoid disposables, allow them to be in control of their waste avoidance too. Make using reusable items, as opposed to tossing the single use items, the norm as early in their lives as possible."

12. For eco-friendly clean ocean ideas see 11 Simple Ways to Save the Ocean from Turning Into Plastic Soup . The author of this piece is Sara Critchfield.




 Before you go, please comment in the space provided below. 


Share ideas, questions, and tips. Please no links in your comment, or I won't be able to publish it. 


Discuss environmental issues with friends, family, community groups, and political figures.  


Vote with your pocketbook and support those organizations and people that are eco-friendly.  


Be vocal about your environmental opinions on social media and in the voting booth. 

πŸ’š

It's up to each one of us to do what we can to preserve precious natural resources, reduce our carbon footprint, and live greener lives! 




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Sunday, April 16, 2017

Wishing You Spring Joy!


Wishing You a Joyful Spring!




This month and the months to come can be an opportunity for you and your family to show gratitude toward our earth for sustaining us.

Find ways to do your part to assure, maintain, and improve air quality, water purity, and unpolluted lands.

Be proactive and kind to our planet, animals, and people. See Kick off the New Year More Sustainably for fresh eco-friendly ideas.

Conserve Water in a Storage Tank


Include live plants including herbs, a bouquet of pretty fresh flowers, and/or a colorful bowl of seasonal fresh fruits or vegetables to bring spring energy into your home.

Adding one or two colorful things to your dΓ©cor brightens your outlook, increases flow of energy, and reminds us of rebirth, joy, and plenty.

This post has been updated 3/09/2024











For additional spring reading see:


Ways Colorful Flowers Boost Our Happiness

Need tips to increase joy and improve well-being? Read Self-Care Activities to Encourage Optimal-Health.












Before you go, please take a moment to comment below. How well are you nurturing yourself this spring? Ask yourself, "What do I enjoy doing for fun?" Then, just do it! 

I love flowers and my experience has been that every time I take in (really see) the beautiful colors of spring, my spirit lifts and I feel great. What about you? 

I read and appreciate every comment, but will not publish those that contain links. Thanks for understanding.



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