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'Food, Inc.' May Make You Lose Your Lunch
Tweet Share on Facebook June 25, 2009 Comment (3)At the height of our outdoor barbecue season—next weekend, more than 56 percent of Americans will make hot dogs and hamburgers for the Fourth of July—comes a film that may make those pleasures seem rather unpalatable. Robert Kenner's documentary "Food Inc." has been described as muckraking journalism, in the vein of Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle," for giving Americans a glimpse of what really goes on their plate—whether it's ammonia-washed hamburger filler, or chickens with genetically-modified breasts so large that the birds cannot walk.
It is especially relevant in an era in which diabetes rates continue to climb—and it's no wonder, when a fast-food cheeseburger is cheaper than fresh produce. In the past few months, we've seen peanut butter, pistachios, and now Nestle cookie dough recalled for containing pathogens. Kenner couldn't have timed the release of this film better if he had tried. -
10 Things You Should Know About Cash for Clunkers
Tweet Share on Facebook June 22, 2009 Comment (103)The long-awaited Cash for Clunkers legislation has passed, and is awaiting President Obama's signature. Here's what you need to know about the auto trade-in program.
1. What's the official definition of a clunker? A driveable car made within the last 25 years, with a fuel economy rating of no more than 18 mpg. To learn more about the combined city/highway fuel-economy of your car, check out the Car Allowance Rebate System site.
2. Here's how the program works: you trade in your old car for cash towards the purchase of a new, more efficient one. The better the mileage of the new car, the more money you'll get towards its purchase - either $3,500 or $4,500. Check out Jalponik's handy chart to figure out how much you might be able to claim. The minimum combined fuel economy of a new car purchased under the program must be at least 22 mpg, while new small trucks and SUVs have to get at least 18 mpg, and large trucks have to get 15 mpg. The old cars will be salvaged once they're turned in.
3. Consumers should act fast. The bill provides vouchers for one million purchases, and the window of time is only fron July 1 to November 1. The bill will be revisited in the fall , and some changes may be made at that time.
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The Climate Change Boogeyman
Tweet Share on Facebook June 15, 2009 Comment (10)Those monsters under the bed? Well, they're no scarier than dust bunnies now. According to Bjorn Lomborg, author of "The Skeptical Environmentalist," children are more frightened by a different sort of boogeyman - climate change. Lomborg writes in the Guardian that telling our children about climate change is "grotesquely harmful," citing pre-teens who cry about polar bears (maybe it's this kid?) and children who think the world is going to explode.
"Children believe that global warming will destroy the planet before they grow up because adults are telling them that ... The current debate about global warming is clearly harmful. I believe that it is time we demanded that the media stop scaring us and our kids silly. We deserve a more reasoned, more constructive, and less frightening dialogue."
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Chipotle Talks Local Produce
Tweet Share on Facebook June 11, 2009 Comment (3)Chipotle, the quick-service Mexican restaurant that dishes out hearty, foil-wrapped burritos is expanding its local foods program - last year, they sourced 25 percent of one bulk produce item used in each store from a local farm, and this year, they're expanding the program to 35 percent. For a chain with more than 860 restaurants, it's a large committment, but they've kept surprisingly mum about it. I talked to Chipotle's Chris Arnold, director of media relations, about the meaning and growing popularity of local food.
What was the catalyst for Chipotle to use local foods?
Better tasting food. We really believe that fresh ingredients from more sustainable sources are the way to go. Adding local produce to some of the things we had already been doing, including naturally-raised meats and dairy products made with milk from cows without RBGH, was the logical place to go. We're looking for sources for all of the ingredients that we use that share our commitment to raising animals and produce in ways that are better for the environment. -
Congress Debates the Meaning of Green -- And Greenwashing
Tweet Share on Facebook June 9, 2009 Comment (1)The terms "green," "natural" and "eco-friendly" sure don't mean what they used to. Today, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing entitled “It’s Too Easy Being Green: Defining Fair Green Marketing Practices" in hopes of cracking down on advertisers and certification programs that mislead consumers.
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D.C. Council Approves Plastic Bag Fee
Tweet Share on Facebook June 3, 2009 Comment (4)It's time for residents of Washington, D.C. to stock up on reusable bags. The D.C. City Council unanimously voted in favor of a 5-cent tax on both paper and plastic bags that, if approved in a second vote later this month, would make the District the first city in the U.S. to institute a bag fee.
San Francisco banned plastic bags outright in 2007, and Los Angeles' ban will go into effect in 2010. Several other cities have tried to assess bag taxes, but have not yet been successful: Seattle residents will vote on a 20-cent tax in August, and a measure in New York was blocked. Last month, the Philadelphia City Council voted against a 20-cent tax on bags, citing the recession.
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