Food

Sorry to say this FFPD has been a total failure on my part, moving house, living in two places at once, and excessive busy-ness are the excuses I claim. All of which are characteristics of the modern hurry up consumerist lifestyle I had hoped FFPD would help me overcome! Can't win em all, I will attempt to do one next weekend to make up for it.

Locavore, locally sourced, local, we've heard it all....now here's 10 reasons going local is the way to go, or eat rather:

1. Food tastes better! It's newer and fresher!

2. Science says it's better for you, nutrients are lost over time, so the quicker it gets from farm to table the more nutrients are retained
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There really is no substitute for honeybees. Whether it's the gazillion tonnes of pesticides we pollute our food, land and water with every year, an Israeli virus, extreme lack of diversity through our insane enslavement to monoculture, or genetically modified plants, the honey bees are dying at an alarming rate. Read more...

I've discussed the threats from modern industrial agriculture to one of our most valuable resources, our soil, in past posts.

Here are a few stats from my Soil Erosion post on my blog back on my blog in February of this year.
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I'm currently reading Animal Factories by Jim Mason and Peter Singer. Together they also wrote The Ethics of What We Eat and Peter Singer wrote Animal Liberation. Peter Singer is a philosopher who as written extensively on the subject of animal ethics, Jim Mason is an environmentalist, lecturer, journalist and attorney who specializes in human/animal concerns.
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I was listening to a lecture/conversation between Wes Jackson of the Land Institute and Wendell Berry this morning and the topic wandered to science and it's mandate. To paraphrase, science doesn't decide what's good, culture does that, within culture religion has largely had a monopoly on that word, that task, that responsibility. Read more...

Planning pays off! In the month between the first FFPD and yesterday I built a rocket/vita stove, gathered and dried fuel for it (see below), planned out my menu and gathered my food. Fortunately we had rain so I had some nice fresh water as well though I had a large reserve if needed.
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Resurgence Slow Sunday www.resurgence.org is a campaign from readers and supporters of the international environmental magazine Resurgence. The aim is to encourage people to take part in small acts of defiance for the environment within their own communities. Read more...

Last night, I had a wonderful meal with some new friends who are working to create an alternative online community. We ate at Red Sea, an Eritrean/Ethiopian restaurant down the street from me. Read more...

Oil derived products are ubiquitous. But, do you realize just how common they are? If you think you’ve shed your oil addiction, think again. I guarantee you will find at least one product in this list that surprises you. Read more...