Organic or Bust

So my first trip to the grocery store as a Greenie was a bit taunting. So many decisions to make! Organic or Conventional? What about Local? Which was Greener? And what should I do if the produce I wanted wasn't available in organic form? Was it worth the additional price?

I realized that I needed to be better informed before I went to the store so I could feel better about the choices I needed to make. After a few weeks/months of research and long grocery trips where I read all the food labels, it got easier. By asking a lot of questions and reading various research and opinions, I found the answers that worked for my new green lifestyle.

I found that for people seeking high nutritional value and reduced risk of exposure to the toxins associated with factory farming practices, organic Green produce offers peace of mind. Organic and conventional produce differ in how the food is farmed as the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides is restricted in organic production. The pesticides used in conventional farming can accumulate in our bodies and may have subtle and long term effects on our health. In addition, research increasingly shows that the nutritional content of organic produce is significantly higher than conventional produce.

I believe that food that hasn’t been treated with pesticides and other chemicals is preferable to food that has been treated. Even if you really do wash all your fruits and veggies before you cook or eat them raw, it is impossible to wash off all the chemicals. We tend to think that pesticides are sprayed on the surface of fruits and veggies as they ripen but farmers can now apply sophisticated new bug killers into the soil that then make their way into the plant and into the future food. Such systemic pesticides cannot be washed off.

Finding all your favorite produce in organic form at a reasonable price and within a reasonable distance is becoming increasingly easy- many supermarkets now provide organic food sections for their customers. I shop at my local Whole Foods and Food Emporium but do my main grocery shopping via Fresh Direct where they have a good range of Green products. We also belong to a local organic farmers buying club and have frequented NYC farmer’s markets.

If you are just starting to think organic, or find the local supplies limited, not all conventional produce is heavily treated and some have more protective coverings to lessen chemical penetration. Here is a list of the produce that you should always buy organic: strawberries, apples, grapes, apricots, bell peppers, peaches, spinach, tomatoes, cantaloupe, celery, cherries, cucumbers and green beans.

The truest Green food is Local Organic produce, grown on farms in the nearby countryside. These fruits and veggies are by definition seasonal. In spring in California, that means artichokes; summer in Michigan means blueberries and autumn in Washington means apples. Typically, only produce that has traveled less than a day (7 or fewer hours) from the farm can be labeled "locally grown." Less travel time means less energy expended to get these fresh organic foods to your table. In many cities, farmers markets have become a fun and nutritious adventure, providing locally grown produce, while at the same time helping to support farmers and their land. If you are interested in supporting locally grown farmers check out the USDA website and for some fun sustainable food tips and great info, try Sustainable Table.

For more scientific information on the benefits of organic vs. conventional food download this PDF: http://www.kursus.kvl.dk/shares/ea/03Projects/32gamle/_2002/FoodQualityFinal.pdf

What have you discovered on your way to going green? Does your local supermarket offer enough green options? Are you able to see beyond the price tag and see the value of eating organic?

My Sustainability

Sustainability…

We hear this word more frequently as environmental efforts grow and yet many people are not sure what sustainability actually means. I believe it is some sort of an ideal state for a Green lifestyle. I hear about buying sustainable products like bamboo and living in sustainable housing. I also often hear this word when in discussions involving transportation, energy and food.

Looking for the true definition, I started with the Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
Sustainable: of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged

Then during a quick trip to Wikipedia, I found a quote that helped me better understand sustainability in the context of a Green lifestyle:
Lester R. Brown, an environmental analyst, summarizes the situation as "sustaining progress depends on shifting from a fossil fuel-based, automobile-centered, economy to a renewable energy-based, diversified transport, reuse/recycle economy".

So it seems that being sustainable means creating a lifestyle favoring renewable options and not exhausting natural resources. With this in mind, the going Green process is a shifting to this sustainable lifestyle by making smart, everyday choices that will protect natural resources.

I then thought about the personal choices I make every day and whether they were sustainable decisions:
- Should I walk to my corner grocery store to buy produce or drive across town to the nearest farmer’s market for local, organic food?
- Should I buy a regular $2 light bulb or spend an additional $5 on an energy-saving CFL mercury light bulb?
- Should I blast my air-conditioner or open my windows on a hot summer day?
- Should I buy a hybrid car or find ways to drive my gas car less frequently?
- Should I clean my home with the same chemical cleaning products my mom trusted for years or switch to non-toxic natural cleaners?

While going Green has certainly gotten easier in the past 7 years since I adopted this lifestyle, sometimes, I do choose the less-sustainable option. Sometimes when I’m feeling strapped for cash, I choose to close my wallet on Green. Sometimes when Green feels like too much of an effort, I choose Red instead. Red because I do know Green is the better choice, and I get embarrassed and red-in-the-face because I gave in.

How do I know that Green is the better choice and that my Green decisions actually make a difference? I have a hard time wrapping my head around the concept that the everyday choices I make impact the future of our planet. That is pretty serious stuff. But I continue to make these Green decisions because I can see how these choices positively impact my own life. When I make personal Green decisions such as buying organic food because it tastes better and ensures that my body isn’t ingesting pesticides and chemicals, I’ve seen how this decision also benefits my family, my home as well as my planet. Now I’m not a scientist so I truly don’t know what leads to climate change. But I do know that when I shift and make a sustainable, Green choice, my whole body feels like it is a good, healthy decision. It just sits right with me and makes me smile. And those smiles are quite sustainable.