Let Your Plate Save Your Planet

Happy Earth Day Everyone!! Today is a time to reflect on the impact our daily choices have on the planet which we all share.  Every day we make choices which either reduce or increase our carbon footprint. Have you ever stopped to consider the environmental impact of what you choose to put on your plate?

Did you know?

* A Worldwatch Institute study from 2009 found that that the meat, egg, and dairy industries (Factory Farming) now contribute up to 51% of greenhouse gases worldwide! 

*Factory farming produces more than 3 times the greenhouse gases of all transportation worldwide ( their contribution is 14%). That is more than all the trucks, cars, SUV's, trains, and plane's in the WORLD COMBINED!

*37% of those gasses are from Methane (YES from Cow Manure) - this is 23 TIMES more than the impact of C02 on Global Warming.

* According to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), 35,000 miles of rivers in 22 states and groundwater in 17 states has been permanently contaminated by industrial farm waste.

* The average American already consuming more than 200 pounds of meat per year, the choice to support industrial farming is devastating from an environmental perspective, exacerbating global warming and jeopardizing a plentiful food supply for future generations that today we take for granted. (Farm Sanctuary)

There are SO MANY facts to support the destruction and devastation that factory farming and supportive industries are having on our planet. 

So when you sit down to dinner, consider the 200 pounds of another species flesh that you consume in a year and what effect this will have on the earth you will leave to your children, grandchildren and other innocent members of society after you are gone.  Eating meat is a CHOICE and not a necessity for health or survival. Many in the scientific community believe human's are natural Vegetarians

What Can You Do?

*Stop Making Excuses for Eating Meat and Animal Products and get Educated.

*Leave meat off your plate: 

*You can save more water by not eating one pound of beef than you do by not showering for an entire year  (Full Article)

*If every American skips one meal of meat per week and chooses vegetarian foods instead, the greenhouse gases savings would be the same as taking half a million cars off US roads (Full Article)

Try it today in honor of EARTH DAY! Try No Meat or Animal Products (Eggs, Cheese, Milk). Get creative in the kitchen tonight!

MEAT IS NOT GREEN:

Sustainable Fashion ~ Put Your Best Foot Forward

Earth Week is upon us (Earth Day April 22) and in honor of that I would like to take a look at a revolutionary new idea ~ Footwear as Fertilizer??


The concept of sustainable fashion encompasses all fashion products (clothing and accessories) that have been created and constructed from materials that contribute to a more equal and balanced world, reducing your impact on the environment. There are many companies who by innovation, creativity and a common love and respect for the earth we all share are creating products that are usable and fashionable. I want to focus on my favorite fashion accessory; SHOES! We all know how fabulous a great shoe collection can be but what do you do with them when they are damaged beyond repair and you are forced to dispose of your tired old soles? There are many programs that do exists who “recycle”, repair or re-use shoes but for the most part there is a cost to you to ship them and it can be a time consuming and inconvenient task to research, pay, package and send them. We want to minimize our footprint on the environment and try to avoid the discards ending up in the landfill, right?


There is a company called OAT shoes ( http://www.oatshoes.com/ ) that has come up with a resolution to your shoe sorrows. They have created a biodegradable shoe that leaves no footprint on the environment except the ones you have made by walking, dancing or running in them. They are merging attractive style with a green concept that until now has been unheard of in the shoe industry (at least by me). How does it work? Once you are ready to bid farewell to your shoes you bury (or plant) them in your garden, woods, or compost, water regularly and watch flowers bloom from your old sneakers. Watch your shoes go from footwear to fertilizer. Their vision: “The future of fashion lies in a reconciliation between nature and industry. OAT Shoes strives to lead the way to that future.” So far they have 2 different, high and low top sneaker styles in 4 colors (Green, Blue, Red, Yellow). The company is based out of Amsterdam and these sustainable sneaks go for approximately 149 EUROs ($215 USD). Regardless of the cost of the shoe the environmental cost is much higher when dealing with the disposal of their conventional counterpart. I am sure that they will be available in the US soon as we are a nation concerned about our planet AND fashion! I wonder how long the shoes last in comparison to a conventional sneaker? You can contact the duo of Sustainable Sneakers (Dirk-Jan Oudshoorn & Christtiaan Maats) via their website (http://www.oatshoes.com/) to inquire if you want to take your future flower pots for a spin or have any questions about their products. The site looks new since I first discovered it a few weeks ago.
They also have Facebook and twitter pages! and a section for frquently Asked Questions.


They need to contact ME when they make the first sustainable stylish stiletto or botany based boots. I would love to take a sneaker for a spin and write a review! I'm a size 9 and I'll take the low-tops in red please ;) *All Images courtesy of www.OATshoes.com*