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:

The Story of STUFF

We all "know" that we live in a world of consumption and destruction. I LOVE this video (The Story of STUFF). It is a simple educational tool to really make you take pause and look at the consumption in your home/life. They make their points using a very simplistic format so everyone can understand. As we approach Christmas I wanted to share this video.

I wanted to provoke some thought into this issue as the more we ignore it, the more damage is being done to the planet we will leave for our children.

I have done my shopping. I have purchased recycled items, vintage clothing & accessories, items up-cycled and re-created by crafters and also items from the big box stores. It is unrealistic in the world we live in that we do not shop and consume. Our world is designed this way. We however have the option as to WHERE we consume and WHAT we consume.

Let's be honest and take accountability, we are ALL consumers. We are ALL part of the problem; but we ALL can be part of the solution too.

Consider these questions:
Are you a buy, use, throw-away person?
Are you a buy, use, re-purpose, re-use?
Do you buy previously loved items? re-purpose and re-use them?
Do you shop big box stores only? or from small businesses, crafters, artisans, and/or thrift stores?

Do all your items have to be NEW? or just NEW to you?

What do you do with your STUFF when you are done with it?

Take 20min to watch THE STORY OF STUFF. "From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It'll teach you something, it'll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever."




My business (EVOLUTION VINTAGE) is recycling fashion; re-styling clothing and accessories. The re-use of these items and styling them current keep them out of the landfills.

In 2012 I want to become more creative than I all ready am. I want to make a commitment to Re-purpose and re-use more and consume LESS! and in turn become a great example for my children. What about you?