The Sustainability Conundrum

Are you sick of hearing me talk about the 100-Mile Diet yet? How about if I change the subject? I've had this little dilemma gnawing at me these last couple of weeks. It all started when I picked up the book Affluenza by John De Graaf et al. at the library. You see, while it does offer up many thought-provoking ideas about the sustainability of our consumer behaviors, it paints quite a grim picture of today's society, and makes me wonder about, well, the sustainability of sustainability.

A few side notes for those of you not familiar with the book: It is based on the premise that today's society is afflicted with a "disease" (called, you guessed it, Affluenza, a play on words using the word influenza) which sees us consuming vast amounts of goods, resources, all in a bid to satisfy an inner yearning which can never be fulfilled by material goods, and which is self-perpetuating. It first describes the symptoms, explains the causes and goes on to propose some treatments.

While reading the book, I've found myself alternately nodding my head in complete agreement, and shaking my head in complete denial. Yes, yes, this society is way too geared towards consumption, and the costs (less literally than figuratively) are astronomical (think ecology). Reading this book has made me pause, reflect and re-evaluate many of my "needs". It's also re-affirmed my philosophy towards material goods. That is, give me just enough. Not so little that I feel deprived, not too much that I can't figure out what to do with. Just enough. But reading this book has also made me aware of the sustainability conundrum. This passage at the end (p.232) nailed to the point home for me: "Spiritual leader Joanna Macy urges our civilization to take a deep breath, admit we have a major problem, and collectively go cold turkey".

Which is fine if you're a "cold turkey" kind of person, but I am willing to bet that most of us aren't. Is quitting all consumption realistic? And if you make that dramatic lifestyle decision and come at it from a deprivation standpoint, doesn't it defeat the whole purpose? After all, how long can you deprive yourself before feelings of resentment and entitlement start to set in? It reminds me of the dieter who starts a strict diet based on limiting the calories/ types of foods/ portions etc. and who deprives himself to lose weight until one day he decides he just can't starve anymore and poof he's off the bandwagon, binging, and back at square one.

So tell me, is depriving ourselves dramatically over the long term really sustainable? Or are we better off continuing to find ways to gradually reduce needless consumptions, while educating ourselves, making wiser decisions, but also discovering ways to produce the products we do need in cleaner, more energy efficient ways?

The Sustainability Conundrum

Are you sick of hearing me talk about the 100-Mile Diet yet? How about if I change the subject? I've had this little dilemma gnawing at me these last couple of weeks. It all started when I picked up the book Affluenza by John De Graaf et al. at the library. You see, while it does offer up many thought-provoking ideas about the sustainability of our consumer behaviors, it paints quite a grim picture of today's society, and makes me wonder about, well, the sustainability of sustainability.

A few side notes for those of you not familiar with the book: It is based on the premise that today's society is afflicted with a "disease" (called, you guessed it, Affluenza, a play on words using the word influenza) which sees us consuming vast amounts of goods, resources, all in a bid to satisfy an inner yearning which can never be fulfilled by material goods, and which is self-perpetuating. It first describes the symptoms, explains the causes and goes on to propose some treatments.

While reading the book, I've found myself alternately nodding my head in complete agreement, and shaking my head in complete denial. Yes, yes, this society is way too geared towards consumption, and the costs (less literally than figuratively) are astronomical (think ecology). Reading this book has made me pause, reflect and re-evaluate many of my "needs". It's also re-affirmed my philosophy towards material goods. That is, give me just enough. Not so little that I feel deprived, not too much that I can't figure out what to do with. Just enough. But reading this book has also made me aware of the sustainability conundrum. This passage at the end (p.232) nailed to the point home for me: "Spiritual leader Joanna Macy urges our civilization to take a deep breath, admit we have a major problem, and collectively go cold turkey".

Which is fine if you're a "cold turkey" kind of person, but I am willing to bet that most of us aren't. Is quitting all consumption realistic? And if you make that dramatic lifestyle decision and come at it from a deprivation standpoint, doesn't it defeat the whole purpose? After all, how long can you deprive yourself before feelings of resentment and entitlement start to set in? It reminds me of the dieter who starts a strict diet based on limiting the calories/ types of foods/ portions etc. and who deprives himself to lose weight until one day he decides he just can't starve anymore and poof he's off the bandwagon, binging, and back at square one.

So tell me, is depriving ourselves dramatically over the long term really sustainable? Or are we better off continuing to find ways to gradually reduce needless consumptions, while educating ourselves, making wiser decisions, but also discovering ways to produce the products we do need in cleaner, more energy efficient ways?

What We've Been Up To

Those blog posts I promised? They're coming. Really. It's just that we've been busy with these (36 liters of them in total, less maybe a few pounds which didn't quite make in the canner because I had hungry mice to feed):






Doing this (this is my mom, helping me in my endeavours as always):





To end up with these:








44 in total. Not bad.

The running total for food squirreled away for the winter is:

44 jars of peaches
50 lbs of frozen blueberries picked by yours truly
26 lbs of green beans bought from a local farmer

On the agenda next week (after I've recovered from the peaches and the kids' second birthday party): tomatoes. Lots of 'em. And maybe freezing carrots. My husband still thinks I'm nuts.

What We've Been Up To

Those blog posts I promised? They're coming. Really. It's just that we've been busy with these (36 liters of them in total, less maybe a few pounds which didn't quite make in the canner because I had hungry mice to feed):






Doing this (this is my mom, helping me in my endeavours as always):





To end up with these:








44 in total. Not bad.

The running total for food squirreled away for the winter is:

44 jars of peaches
50 lbs of frozen blueberries picked by yours truly
26 lbs of green beans bought from a local farmer

On the agenda next week (after I've recovered from the peaches and the kids' second birthday party): tomatoes. Lots of 'em. And maybe freezing carrots. My husband still thinks I'm nuts.

Our Future 100-Mile Farmer?

It's been quiet this last week on the blog front. I've got about three posts started, all of them in progress. While I finish them, I will leave you with this picture of one of our sons, who's currently in the grips of a torrid love affair with tractors of all sizes and colors. Think he's a future farmer?

Our Future 100-Mile Farmer?

It's been quiet this last week on the blog front. I've got about three posts started, all of them in progress. While I finish them, I will leave you with this picture of one of our sons, who's currently in the grips of a torrid love affair with tractors of all sizes and colors. Think he's a future farmer?

Summer Sale!

Please check out our summer sale!

Great new prices on Badger sunscreen (by the way their shelf life is two years + and the lot we are currently carrying is this year's so if you stock up now and don't use it all, you can still use it next year and well into 2010!).

Also, we've stocked up on Born Free glass bottles because we know you like them so much! And we've lowered our prices to make summer even sweeter!

(Offers are while supplies last)

Summer Sale!

Please check out our summer sale!

Great new prices on Badger sunscreen (by the way their shelf life is two years + and the lot we are currently carrying is this year's so if you stock up now and don't use it all, you can still use it next year and well into 2010!).

Also, we've stocked up on Born Free glass bottles because we know you like them so much! And we've lowered our prices to make summer even sweeter!

(Offers are while supplies last)

The Case Against Bottled Water

By now it's not news to anyone that drinking bottled water is a big eco-no-no. But, if like me you know a few who are still reluctant to part with their precious clear plastic-encased libations, here are few compelling facts to help usher them along into the post-bottled water era:

• At least a third of bottled water on the market is just packaged tap water (think Dasani and Aquafina).


• It's cost is up to 1,000 times (and sometimes more!) the cost of tap water. Pepsi Co. et al. have got many suckered into lining their deep corporate pockets with that priceless liquid drawn directly from the tap. (I do have to hand it to them though, it's brilliant marketing. If only that energy had been expended on something a little more benevolent...)


• Since most of the plastic bottles are made of polyethylene terephthalate (or PET), they come with health risks - leaching contaminants.


• Their environmental impact is severe and tragic: the depletion of energy sources (petroleum for manufacturing plastics), the carbon dioxide produced in the manufacturing process, the pollution from transportation, and the transmission of contaminants in our food chain to name a few.

Once these facts start hitting home, the days of toting around the ubiquitous Evian bottle should soon be a mere memory.

*edited to add: a fellow reader brought this to my attention - spell Evian backwards and it should make you chuckle or at least raise an eyebrow!

The Case Against Bottled Water

By now it's not news to anyone that drinking bottled water is a big eco-no-no. But, if like me you know a few who are still reluctant to part with their precious clear plastic-encased libations, here are few compelling facts to help usher them along into the post-bottled water era:

• At least a third of bottled water on the market is just packaged tap water (think Dasani and Aquafina).


• It's cost is up to 1,000 times (and sometimes more!) the cost of tap water. Pepsi Co. et al. have got many suckered into lining their deep corporate pockets with that priceless liquid drawn directly from the tap. (I do have to hand it to them though, it's brilliant marketing. If only that energy had been expended on something a little more benevolent...)


• Since most of the plastic bottles are made of polyethylene terephthalate (or PET), they come with health risks - leaching contaminants.


• Their environmental impact is severe and tragic: the depletion of energy sources (petroleum for manufacturing plastics), the carbon dioxide produced in the manufacturing process, the pollution from transportation, and the transmission of contaminants in our food chain to name a few.

Once these facts start hitting home, the days of toting around the ubiquitous Evian bottle should soon be a mere memory.

*edited to add: a fellow reader brought this to my attention - spell Evian backwards and it should make you chuckle or at least raise an eyebrow!

Bean Counting

Someone asked me if I saved money by freezing all these beans. The answer is I think so.

I did some researching. Consider this:

- I paid approx $1.30 per lb of beans, after bargaining with the farmer. $13 was knocked off the original price tag of $48 for 26.4lbs.

- Our local Loblaws currently has a sale on fresh green beans (product of Canada but not necessarily local); they are $1.49 per lb.

- At our local Loeb they are currently a whopping $2.99 per lb (product of Canada once again).

- If we consider frozen beans, at Loblaws a kilogram of Green Giant green beans sells for $2.99.

So overall, I think I did great if we consider only fresh beans. If we throw in the frozen beans, not as good. But then, there's the environmental cost. What is that worth?

Bean Counting

Someone asked me if I saved money by freezing all these beans. The answer is I think so.

I did some researching. Consider this:

- I paid approx $1.30 per lb of beans, after bargaining with the farmer. $13 was knocked off the original price tag of $48 for 26.4lbs.

- Our local Loblaws currently has a sale on fresh green beans (product of Canada but not necessarily local); they are $1.49 per lb.

- At our local Loeb they are currently a whopping $2.99 per lb (product of Canada once again).

- If we consider frozen beans, at Loblaws a kilogram of Green Giant green beans sells for $2.99.

So overall, I think I did great if we consider only fresh beans. If we throw in the frozen beans, not as good. But then, there's the environmental cost. What is that worth?

And So It Begins

The great food preserving adventure began today when I bought 26lbs of green and yellow beans. My children's caregiver actually asked me if I was nuts (it's great that she feels that comfortable with me, though I think she's been talking to my husband) when I came home with a great big box of beans freshly picked from the Orleans Fruit Farm. Nope, but I admit I have my moments these days. It doesn't get any more local or any fresher than that. Straight from a field about 12 kilometres away from our house. All part of our family's effort to eat (and live) more sustainably.

Here's how I treated them in case you're interested in trying this yourself:

- I broke off the ends.

- Washed thoroughly: in a sink of cold water, one batch at a time. Rinse with running water (they were very sandy).

- Blanched them for one minute in boiling water: (though some sites say to do this for three minutes, the lady at the farm said she does for one minute only and it works great for her). I used a 21qt canner thinking it would go faster. You can blanch more at one time, but a tip, start boiling your water while you are still prepping your beans. It takes a long time to boil. You also should wait to bring it to a full boil between batches when you are blanching, so be prepared to multitask (I drafted this post and answered emails while waiting for the water to boil).

- Cooled them in a bath of cold water: again, some recommend ice in the water, I just used cold water, and gave them another quick cold rinse before I drained them.

- Let dry: I did this on clean towels spread out on my kitchen island. If it has been nice out, I would have laid out my towels on the patio table and let them dry in the breeze.

- Freeze in batches on cookie sheets.

- Transfer to freezer bags when frozen. Remove air with a straw before sealing closed.

To be fair, I only got to the green ones this afternoon. I was late getting started. Tomorrow I will finish up the yellow ones. If you're thinking of doing this yourself, I say go for it. It's a long and tedious process, though somewhat therapeutic, and once you start seeing food stack up in your freezer, it's very satisfying. I'm already having visions of enjoying my favorite bean salad next winter. Recipe to follow...

And So It Begins

The great food preserving adventure began today when I bought 26lbs of green and yellow beans. My children's caregiver actually asked me if I was nuts (it's great that she feels that comfortable with me, though I think she's been talking to my husband) when I came home with a great big box of beans freshly picked from the Orleans Fruit Farm. Nope, but I admit I have my moments these days. It doesn't get any more local or any fresher than that. Straight from a field about 12 kilometres away from our house. All part of our family's effort to eat (and live) more sustainably.

Here's how I treated them in case you're interested in trying this yourself:

- I broke off the ends.

- Washed thoroughly: in a sink of cold water, one batch at a time. Rinse with running water (they were very sandy).

- Blanched them for one minute in boiling water: (though some sites say to do this for three minutes, the lady at the farm said she does for one minute only and it works great for her). I used a 21qt canner thinking it would go faster. You can blanch more at one time, but a tip, start boiling your water while you are still prepping your beans. It takes a long time to boil. You also should wait to bring it to a full boil between batches when you are blanching, so be prepared to multitask (I drafted this post and answered emails while waiting for the water to boil).

- Cooled them in a bath of cold water: again, some recommend ice in the water, I just used cold water, and gave them another quick cold rinse before I drained them.

- Let dry: I did this on clean towels spread out on my kitchen island. If it has been nice out, I would have laid out my towels on the patio table and let them dry in the breeze.

- Freeze in batches on cookie sheets.

- Transfer to freezer bags when frozen. Remove air with a straw before sealing closed.

To be fair, I only got to the green ones this afternoon. I was late getting started. Tomorrow I will finish up the yellow ones. If you're thinking of doing this yourself, I say go for it. It's a long and tedious process, though somewhat therapeutic, and once you start seeing food stack up in your freezer, it's very satisfying. I'm already having visions of enjoying my favorite bean salad next winter. Recipe to follow...

Fresh Bean Salad Recipe

Adapted from Les Haricots de L'Ile D'Orleans

- 1 3/4 lbs green and yellow beans, stems removed
- 12 sundried tomatoes cut into strips
- 1 lb bocconcini cheese, sliced
- 4 shallots, thinly sliced (I've used green onions and they work well)

For the vinaigrette

- 4 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs such as chives, oregano, basil, savory etc. (my favorite combination is chives and basil)
- 1 cup olive oil (I use a little less, more like 3/4 cup)
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- salt and pepper

1. To prepare the salad, cook beans in water until crisp-tender, then plunge in iced water to cool as quickly as possible. Drain and transfer beans to a large salad bowl with the tomatoes, bocconcini and shallots. Set aside.

2. For the vinaigrette, in a small bowl briskly whisk Dijon with the herbs. While continuing to whisk, add oil in a thin steady stream to obtain a smooth mixture. Add vinegar and garlic, then salt and pepper.

3. Finish the salad by tossing the vinaigrette with the bean mixture. (I find that there is a lot of vinaigrette, so I usually reserve a small portion for later use with a green salad)

Tip: Marinate the bocconcini slices for about 2 hours in red or white balsamic vinegar (or even the wine vinegar). This will make them firmer and tastier.

Fresh Bean Salad Recipe

Adapted from Les Haricots de L'Ile D'Orleans

- 1 3/4 lbs green and yellow beans, stems removed
- 12 sundried tomatoes cut into strips
- 1 lb bocconcini cheese, sliced
- 4 shallots, thinly sliced (I've used green onions and they work well)

For the vinaigrette

- 4 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs such as chives, oregano, basil, savory etc. (my favorite combination is chives and basil)
- 1 cup olive oil (I use a little less, more like 3/4 cup)
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- salt and pepper

1. To prepare the salad, cook beans in water until crisp-tender, then plunge in iced water to cool as quickly as possible. Drain and transfer beans to a large salad bowl with the tomatoes, bocconcini and shallots. Set aside.

2. For the vinaigrette, in a small bowl briskly whisk Dijon with the herbs. While continuing to whisk, add oil in a thin steady stream to obtain a smooth mixture. Add vinegar and garlic, then salt and pepper.

3. Finish the salad by tossing the vinaigrette with the bean mixture. (I find that there is a lot of vinaigrette, so I usually reserve a small portion for later use with a green salad)

Tip: Marinate the bocconcini slices for about 2 hours in red or white balsamic vinegar (or even the wine vinegar). This will make them firmer and tastier.

Great Summer Book Swap

DATE: August 20, 2008

TIME:

8 - 10pm

LOCATION:

Precious One's Kids Consignment store, 2675 Old Innes Rd., Gloucester (just east of the Bearbrook intersection).

WHAT:

It's time to clear out your bookshelves, bring your previously-read books and exchange them for "new" treasures! A very green (and free!) way to read. Also, take advantage of after hours shopping and get 15% off your purchases on both ecomama.ca items and kids consignment items (stock up on back to school clothes and shoes!)

COST:

This event is free!

Bring your sister, your girlfriend, a co-worker and come spend an evening among friends. Your next great read is waiting for you, and who knows, maybe a few more treasures!

Refreshments will be served.

RSVP: info at ecomama dot ca or (613) 698-9272

Great Summer Book Swap

DATE: August 20, 2008

TIME:

8 - 10pm

LOCATION:

Precious One's Kids Consignment store, 2675 Old Innes Rd., Gloucester (just east of the Bearbrook intersection).

WHAT:

It's time to clear out your bookshelves, bring your previously-read books and exchange them for "new" treasures! A very green (and free!) way to read. Also, take advantage of after hours shopping and get 15% off your purchases on both ecomama.ca items and kids consignment items (stock up on back to school clothes and shoes!)

COST:

This event is free!

Bring your sister, your girlfriend, a co-worker and come spend an evening among friends. Your next great read is waiting for you, and who knows, maybe a few more treasures!

Refreshments will be served.

RSVP: info at ecomama dot ca or (613) 698-9272

My Husband Thinks I'm Nuts

The last post talked about produce I want to can. But I forgot to mention that I also want to freeze at least 10-20lbs of blueberries, and the same or more of beans. And in the 100-Mile Diet, on page 151, Alisa mentions freezing corn. Of course!! Now that's been added to my list too (30lbs or more). I casually mentioned my project to my dear husband this morning and while he was super encouraging and said he thought it was a great idea, I could see the amused twinkle in his eye and I just know he was thinking "wow, she really is a nut". Bless his heart, he suggested we go blueberry picking as a family. Apparently he's an amazing "picker". Super fast and all. I wonder though, if he's thought about the logistics of picking blueberries with three spirited two year-olds running amok. I don't know, who do you think is the real nut?

My Husband Thinks I'm Nuts

The last post talked about produce I want to can. But I forgot to mention that I also want to freeze at least 10-20lbs of blueberries, and the same or more of beans. And in the 100-Mile Diet, on page 151, Alisa mentions freezing corn. Of course!! Now that's been added to my list too (30lbs or more). I casually mentioned my project to my dear husband this morning and while he was super encouraging and said he thought it was a great idea, I could see the amused twinkle in his eye and I just know he was thinking "wow, she really is a nut". Bless his heart, he suggested we go blueberry picking as a family. Apparently he's an amazing "picker". Super fast and all. I wonder though, if he's thought about the logistics of picking blueberries with three spirited two year-olds running amok. I don't know, who do you think is the real nut?