HOME OF THE FUTURE

So, I just got back from a couple of days of Disneyland.  I love Disneyland - yes, it's all smoke and mirrors, but it still feels magical walking through the gates and seeing the "mouse."  Well, maybe the magic happens when my son gets to experience these things, but nonetheless, I always enjoy the visit.

Funny thing this time though.  We went to Innoventions in Tomorrowland.  At first, you get a presentation about conservation.  You know the drill - a presentation on using compact fluorescent lightbulbs over the traditional energy zappers...unplugging appliances when you are not using them...a brief talk on solar and wind power.  And next, with great anticipation, the doors slowly opened to reveal the "HOME OF THE FUTURE."  After our graduation from the Conservation 101 Presentation, I was excited to maybe see the "HOME OF THE FUTURE" stocked full of energy saving gadgets, rain barrels, grey water systems...   Drumroll please....  As we walked through the magical doors, what was revealed to us but nothing but lights, lights, lights and more lights.  Everything lit up and buzzed.  You could practically hear the slight buzz of our power plants at work just to power this display.  

We walked into a cozy living room, warm tones in the decor and family photos placed perfectly on the piano.  But these weren't real photos, they were digital picture frames.  The art on the walls - digital.  The COFFEE TABLE - DIGITAL!?!?!  You could read a digital book or play digital checkers on the digital coffee table.  How about a game of digital soccer in your digital backyard?

Disney, I love you, man.  But, really?  If you are going to present this kind of home of the future, you might as well scrap the environmental chat at the beginning.  Or better yet, why don't you rethink the idea of the "Home of the Future?"

MEATLESS MONDAYS

Across the globe, it is catching on... in an effort to reduce our meat consumption by 15% and to improve the overall health of our planet, restaurants, schools, hospitals, and homes are going "meatless" each Monday in the "Meatless Mondays" campaign.

According to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization the meat industry generates nearly one fifth of the man-made greenhouse gas emissions that lead to climate change. Geophysicists at the Bard Center and the University of Chicago estimate that curbing meat consumption by 20% (which could be achieved through Meatless Mondays) would lower greenhouse gas emissions as dramatically as every American switching to an ultra-efficient hybrid vehicle.

The U.N. also found that current meat production methods cause nearly half of all stream and river pollution. Meat also requires a great deal of fresh water to manufacture. The production of a pound of beef takes approximately 2,500 gallons of water, compared to a pound of soy, which requires only 220 gallons.  By switching to soy on Mondays each individual could save about 890 gallons of water a week.

As of 2006, forty calories of fossil fuel energy go into every calorie of U.S. feed lot beef (manufacture, transport and storage included). By comparison, a calorie of plant-based protein only requires 2.2 calories of fossil fuel. If the population of the United States went meatless every Monday for a year, 12 billion gallons of gasoline would be saved.

Last night, we went to one of our favorite local spots, Stone Brewing World Bistro and Gardens, who has adopted the Meatless Monday campaign into their menu.  Even on non-Mondays, their philosophy goes alongside the Slow Food Movement's, in that they only serve local, seasonal, and organically grown produce, 100% naturally raised meats, artisanal cheeses, and are 100% high fructose corn syrup-free.  

Take a look in your area and see what chefs are thinking globally.  Also, Meatless Mondays are a great tradition to bring into your own home.  

HOUSEPLANTS - UPGRADE YOUR AIR QUALITY!

I recently read an article in Natural Home, entitled "Upgrade Your Life."  Mentioned in the article are ways to improve the air quality in your home - by incorporating more house plants into your lifestyle.  Here is a clip from the article:

Surround yourself with houseplants.  NASA scientists searching for the solution to "sick building syndrome" found that common houseplants are some of the most effective air cleaners.  Five to try:

1) Aloe vera soothes kitchen burns and sucks formaldehyde out of the air.

2) Corn plants purify benzene and cigarette smoke.

3) Spider plants absorb carbon monoxide.

4) Peace lilies remove acetone, trichloroethylene, benzene, and formaldehyde.

5) Dwarf date palms negate harmful effects from xylene (found in paints.)

Check out the whole article in the July/August 2010 issue!