Are you making the most of the incredibly short asparagus season? Blink and you miss it…

May and early June see the brief few weeks when we can get hold of locally-grown asparagus (I’m talking UK and Europe here – apologies to the rest of the global community!).

Asparagus is a short-lived treat!

The rest of the year now sees air freighted asparagus available from Peru and beyond, but you can’t beat the taste and freshness of locally grown, freshly-picked stems.

At this time of year, it’s so abundant that it’s cheaper, fresher and tastier than at any other time of year. Like so many veggies, it starts to deteriorate and dry out soon after picking, so fresh is definitely best.

Asparagus is an expensive vegetable because its season is so short and growing it takes quite an effort. For a start, it takes three years or more after planting, before you get a half-decent crop. Then add in the fact it has to be harvested by hand with a special knife and the our preference for tender young stems, rather than larger, woodier asparagus, and it’s easy to see why it sells for a premium.

I was in my local supermarket at the weekend (I know, burn me at the stake, and all that!) and above a tray of pretty fresh, locally-sourced asparagus were neat little packs of “fine asparagus tips” from – wait for it – Thailand. Complete with a “by air” sticker. Why oh why oh why? It’s the height of the UK asparagus season and I find it hard to believe we still need to import it.

But putting my soap box aside, I love asparagus. Whether it’s the flavoursome green stems we’re so familiar with in the UK or the delicate white stems you see in continental Europe, it’s s six week treat.

And I was wondering, what’s your favourite way of enjoying asparagus?

Mine? Sheer indulgence: with a home-made Hollandaise sauce. The whole thing takes 5 minutes and it’s simply the most incredible way of eating asparagus. Probably just as well it only has a short season!

So what do you do with yours?

Clare

Enjoying an eco-lifestyle means living greener in all areas of your life. You may be taking environmentally friendly steps at home, but are you also doing it at work?

People spend almost 90% of their lives indoors, and for those people who work inside that equates to about 40 or more hours at your desk, office or cubicle. Whether you’re a student interning at a major corporation, a marketing associate making phone calls all day or an office assistant handling paperwork, you’re going to spend a majority of your time in one place all day.

So don’t you want your work space to be eco-friendly and energy efficient? It can be if you make some simple changes in your life.

1. Computer Conservation
For many people with desk jobs the computer is absolutely necessary to get things done. It is estimated that people waste over $1 billion in electricity every year just in computer use! To help conserve energy for your computer you can:

• Invest in an energy-saving computer, monitor and printer
• Switch to energy-saving settings
• Turn off your computer whenever you’re not using it
• Set it to sleep mode when you are away for short periods of time

2. Paperless is More
Do you really have to print out every email and handout? You can reduce paper waste by going paperless wherever possible. You can try to:

• Keep copies of important emails, files, manuals and more on your computer
• Don’t get any extra catalogues or magazines mailed to your office
• Get your check directly deposited instead of a waiting for a hard copy
• Send company updates through email instead of on paper
• Review any documents online instead of printing them out

3. Prioritize Your Paper Use
If you do use paper on a daily basis then you can make eco-friendly paper choices. Here are some things you can do:

• Buy recycled and chlorine-free paper
• Try paper made from organic products like bamboo, cotton or hemp
• Print on both sides of the paper
• Shred old paper to use as packing material
• Save and reuse old boxes
• Use old sheets of paper for scrap paper or note-taking

4. Recycle
There are many things in your office that you can recycle. If you don’t have a recycling station at work, start one on your own! You can get a few bins and post recycling guidelines above them. Some of them may include recycling:

• Paper products like copy paper, envelopes, magazines, etc.
• Cardboard boxes from shipped supplies
• Soda cans and plastic bottles
• Aluminum foil
• Plastic bags
• Ink cartridges

5. The Power of the Printer
The printer is one of the most used office items. Every day it cranks out tons of important faxes, emails and other documents. Here are some ways you make your printer use greener:

• Try not to print in color
• Use a printer that does double-sided copying
• Print in draft mode
• Use old paper with extra space to print small documents
• Recycle ink and toner cartridges

6. Air You Can Bare
It’s already bad enough that you have to worry about air pollution every time you walk outside, but it’s also a big priority when you work inside. Here are some ways that you can maintain a healthy air flow in your office:

• Use non-toxic cleaning products
• Open your windows to increase air flow
• Don’t smoke in or near the office
• Never bring any type of aerosol can to work
• Use an air purifier to get rid of contaminants

7. Travel with Care
The first part of your work day starts with you getting to work, and for many people that means driving. Cars emit tons of carbon dioxide gases into the air, contributing to global warming. Here are some things you can do for a green ride:

• Join a ride share group
• Take the train, bus or subway
• Ride a bike or walk if you live close enough
• Invest in a green car like a hybrid
• Reduce your travel by working from home whenever possible

8. Green Your Desk…Literally
Get a plant and place it on or near your desk. Or, even better, buy plants for all of your neighbors. They will not only see this as a friendly gesture, but they’ll also have cleaner air to breathe! Plants absorb indoor air pollution and increase the flow of oxygen, so get a green accessory to compliment your desk!

9. Food For Thought
Everyone looks forward to their lunch break. If you manage to save money by not going out to eat every day then you probably pack your lunch. You can follow these lunch tips to have healthier eating habits:

• Pack your lunch in a reusable lunch bag or box
• If you bring your lunch in a paper or plastic bag, reuse or recycle them
• Use plastic containers and silverware that can be washed and used again
• Switch to organic food and drinks
• Drink from the fountain or a water filtration system instead of brining water bottles
• Recycle your soda cans, bottles and aluminum foil
• Use a washable napkin instead of paper towels
• Walk to a lunch eatery if you forgot to pack it

10. Spread the Word
The best way to stay involved in the green scene at work is to get others involved. Share your practices and wisdom with your boss and coworkers. You can do this by:

• Encouraging the office to join or start a recycling program
• Purchasing company carbon credits
• Buying eco-friendly office products
• Setting up a carpool calendar
• Getting everyone to pack their lunch and eat together

Your work environment has a great impact on your personal and professional happiness and your emotional stability. If you enjoy how greening your life makes you feel, then there’s no better place to keep the tradition alive than at work!

About the Author:
Trish Smith is a copywriter for Green Student U, a blog-style site that introduces today’s students to a wide variety of global environmental issues by recognizing college campus green initiatives and personal success stories, as well as how the world is being shaped by environmental reform.

As mine and Jez‘s big day approaches and most of the preparations in place I thought I would steal a little time to reflect and share my experience in planning our eco and ethical wedding.

Right from the start we wanted our wedding to reflect our everyday values and beliefs, how we live and work. Although we didn’t tell anyone until the summer, our plans started last spring, looking for all of the main wedding necessities – a place to have the ceremony, a place to celebrate and someone to provide food.

Ceremonies & Celebrations

Finding a place to have the ceremony was easy, neither of us wanted to get married in church and the cost of using a hotel or other licenced venue ruled that out immediately. So, register office it was to be. We didn’t choose the one in Nottingham city as it isn’t very pretty and would be further for our families to travel so we chose one in a nearby town which has a walled garden and is just as easy to get to via public transport.

Party Venue
Looking for a place to celebrate and a caterer went hand in hand because of course the venue needed the facilities to prepare and serve food and the caterer had to be happy working in the chosen venue. It took me a little while to catch on to the idea of having a celebration in a village hall, I don’t know why but I think I originally got the idea from an Ethical Weddings blog post. I had spend days and days scouring the internet for a suitable place in Nottinghamshire, again hotels were just too expensive and many places wanted to provide their own food but I was determined to find an ethical caterer of our own.

Ethical Caterer
Luckily after the great realisation that a village hall would be just right for us, I narrowed it down to two possibilities, visited them both and chose one immediately, a charity run hall not far from the register office. In-between times I was glued to my computer searching for a suitable caterer and in Nottinghamshire that isn’t easy. I think in total I found 3 caterers that could provide local, organic and fair trade food but when I called Cate from C8TER I need look no further. Right from the start Cate reassured me with her friendly, professional and flexible approach and her attention to detail. She’s knowledgable about sourcing local and organic food and after sampling her cooking I’m really looking forward to the meal on the day!

Dressing Up

Luckily, finding a dress happened quite quickly, although I expected it to be difficult. In fact initially I didn’t see myself with a traditional wedding dress and thought I would buy a pretty organic cotton dress or something similar. However, wedding fever soon took over and I got carried away with the idea of having a bridal gown. At this point I can’t say too much as Jez hasn’t seen the dress and I don’t want to give anything away.

Oxfam Bridal
Once I knew I was going to get a wedding dress I also knew where I wanted to buy it – Oxfam Bridal. So, last July my mum and I excitedly set off to Leicester where the nearest Oxfam Bridal store is. Unfortuntaly I didn’t find the dress for me on that first trip but I was heartened and encouraged by how nicely they had set up that separate part of the shop and the variety of gowns. The next nearest Oxfam Bridal shop is in Bradford and that shopping trip was the ultimate in making the most of public transport – All tied in with a business meeting and a visit to see some friends I managed to get from Bradford train station to the Oxfam store, pick a dress, try it on, buy it and get back on the train all in about 30 minutes! I was so pleased that I’d found something that was just right and was really impressed with the choice and facilities in the Oxfam shop. The staff there were excited and fussy which made it even more special.

I realise that for some people the thought of buying their bridal gown from a charity shop sounds terrible but its probably the single item that I’m most pleased with and I’m so happy that I did manage to find it at Oxfam.

Bouquets and Posies
I had a mixed experience trying to find a suitable florist for my bouquet. Initially I was going plant some tulip bulbs in the garden, ask our families to do the same and make my own bunch of flowers nearer to the time. Then I came to my senses and realised I know absolutely nothing about keeping or arranging flowers once they’ve been plucked from the ground and decided to seek professional advice.

I spoke to a few different florists, some of whom were sympathetic to the idea of having a green and ethical wedding and others who just looked baffled when I asked about locally sourced flowers. I’m not picky, I think all flowers are beautiful and so I wasn’t going to dictate exactly the type of flower I wanted as long as it was grown as nearby as possible and were roughly in the colours I wanted. I chose a florist called The Rose Bower in the end because they were the most helpful and were willing to find out what seasonal, locally grown flowers would be available at this time of year before I’d even decided to use them. I can’t wait to see mine and Beth’s (my bridesmaid, niece & guest GGG editor) tulip bouquets when I go to collect them on the morning and they will have only travelled from the next county, Lincolnshire.

Invitations & Decorations

After organising the food and venues the rest of the planning was quite easy. I love making things and wanted something individual, so I decided from the start that I would make the invitations, menus, favours, name places and decorations myself.

Bunting!
The village hall is quite typical in that it really needs a lick of paint and looks quite grubby in daylight but I like a challenge and so last September Jez, his mum, my parents and I went off armed with notepads and tape measures to figure out how we could transform it into a beautiful place to celebrate. From then on I spent months finding large pieces of fabric and sheets to drape around the room, some from charity shops and some from ebay. I also bought some pink, yellow, green and white cotton to make my own bunting. I have metres and metres of the stuff and my friends at our craft group, Stitched Up, found it quite amusing that this cotton bunting never seemed to end!

I love bunting, it always seems to cheer me up. I’ve even had a small piece hanging up in the house for a few weeks.

RSVP
Because the venue is near to a maypole (which I used to run around and around when I was little) we’ve ended up with a maypole theme and the spring colours lemon, pink and green. So, I was very lucky when I asked my graphic designer friend if she could design me a motif for invites, menus etc using that theme. What she came up with was beautiful and I just what I wanted. I bought all of the recycled card, paper and envelopes I needed from Eco Craft who delivered it very quickly.

We asked our guests to RSVP via a website we’d built. The website also provides details of transport, directions, local hotels and so on to save from using up any more paper than necessary.

Tables, Favours & Name Cards
Aside from card for invites and menus I bought some lovely recycled paper which has confetti embedded in it. From this I made little origami boxes (which I talked about in my ‘Origami Genius!’ post) and will put in each of them a bulb from my Dad’s garden – these are our guests’ favours.

The name places are hand made, natural fruit lollipops with no artificial colours or flavours from sweetstall.com and I have added little labels to each one for our guests with a little picture. Jez and I have a house rabbit so our labels have loved-up bunnies on them, ahhhh. The others have butterflies, hearts and flowers.

Also, to decorate the tables we painted some plant pots white and decorated them with our colours and theme and soon I will be planting in them primroses or another spring flower which have been grown by a gardener just a few miles down the road.

The day before the wedding myself, Jez and an army of sisters and nieces and my mum and dad will spend the day putting all of these decorations together, hopefully creating a lovely room for eating, drinking and dancing.

Cake, Wine & Water

One of the nicest things about planning a wedding is that people really want to help and be involved. Jez’s mum is brilliant at making and decorating cakes and there was no question that she would be making ours. We decided to go for a traditional fruit cake (with organic ingredients) as well as Fairtrade chocolate cupcakes. Jez’s mum and I spent a lovely weekend making all of the little white sugar flowers for the main cake and hearts and butterflies for the cupcakes.

Guests will will take home slices of cake in pretty white recycled card boxes from The Tiny Box Company. Rachel at The Tiny Box Company was so obliging, helping me to choose the right size box and keep within my budget – This was the very last thing I bought and so I didn’t want to spend too much. It was a very speedy delivery too so I didn’t need to worry about any last minute hitches.

The bubbly and wine is all organic and Fairtrade and one of the types we have chosen is an English wine from Pennard Organic Vineyard.

I’m also extremely happy that we even managed to find eco friendly bottled water thanks to our Green Guy Gareth’s post ‘Bottled Water: Environmental Disaster?‘ . In that article Gareth mentions Belu Water, a carbon neutral company whose profits go towards clean water projects. So, I contacted Belu who very helpfully found me a local supplier, Lee & Fletcher, who delivered the water to my door in just a couple of days!

I Do!

The rings are the last thing I’m going to talk about although I’m sure I must have forgotten something. I’ll probably give an update afterwards anyway so I can show pictures of the decorated venue and my dress, which won’t be a secret by then.

Looking for rings was quite a strange experience. We wanted to get antique or second hand rings because that is the greenest option available – I always work on that principle and used it throughout the wedding planning. I guess we were a little niaive thinking that we’d be able to pop into one of the many antique shops in Nottinghamshire, pick up two gold wedding bands and be on our way. Apparently this isn’t the case.

After going into a few shops, looking at every other type of antique ring but finding no wedding rings one lady told me that they just don’t sell them because people are too superstitious to buy them. She said that if a wedding band was brought to the shop it just got sent for scrap! What a waste! I was so disappointed. However, the internet is a fantastic thing and after a quick search I not only found John Clive Jewellers but two perfect second hand rings in exactly the right size!

When I look back I’m proud of what we’ve achieved. Not everything is 100% green, we’re having a fancy car to take us to the register office and a disco in the evening but all-in-all I think we’ve done really well.

I’ll be in touch again at the end of April to let you know how it all went!

Time flies! On March 20th it will officially be the start of spring, thus I thought it best to finally provide you all with a detailed update of my New Year Green Pledges which I first wrote about in the post titled Belated new year greetings and green pledges.

I would like to highlight that I am not like Mary Poppins (practically perfect in every way) so whilst I have worked very hard to fulfil my New Year Green Pledges there are areas in which I could perform better.  However as a vegan and activist, I agree with what Katleen Baum said in her recent GGG post with regards to vegans having to frequently defend themselves as they can be scrutinised and judged almost immediately as people like to try and trip you up to find a weakness or hypocrisy in your beliefs and actions.

Anyhow moving swiftly on please find below an update of my pledges, if you have any questions just ask and if you can offer me any constructive advice / support then please do!

Pledge 1 –  Buy no NEW clothes at all

I am proud to announce that I have not brought any clothes at all! I am however recycling an old chunky scarf by unravelling it and knitting a cardigan.

Pledge 2 – Make my vegan diet at least 80% organic, locally sourced and word free

This pledge got off to a pretty good start but then instead of bananas and tofu, it turned out that during February it was caffeine and dark organic chocolate that was my weakness. However I am back to being super healthy again and practically living off a large weekly organic fruit and veg box containing approximately 80% locally sourced food but with some items such as peppers coming from Spain or Italy and occasional fruit from further afar (but not air freighted).

However I can not live on fruit and veg alone as I would not get all my nutrients, so I have been supplementing my vegan diet with:

Nuts – predominantly:

Almonds (100g of Almonds contain 16.9g protein, 4.2mg iron, 250mg calcium, 20mg vitamin E, 3.1mg zinc and 0.92mg vitamin B2)

Walnuts (100g walnuts contain 10.6g protein and 2.4mg iron)

Almonds and Walnuts can be grown effectively in the UK. In fact through my local veg box scheme I recently purchased a large string bag full of shelled almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts (I am slightly allergic to hazelnuts so passed these onto family and friends)

When I purchase my next home (with the aim of hopefully staying there forever) I would like to plant a nut orchard comprising almonds, walnuts, sweet chestnut and also pine kernels which can be grown in the UK too.

For further information about growing nuts in the UK please click here.

Seeds – predominantly:

Pumpkin seeds (100g pumpkin seeds contain 29g protein, 11.2mg iron and 1144mg phosphorous )

Sunflower seeds (100g sunflower seeds contain 24g protein and 7.1mg iron and 120mg calcium.)

Flax seeds (100g flax seeds contain 18g protein, 255mg calcium, and 644mg phosphorus. Rich in Omega 3)

Again all of these can be grown in the UK, however I don’t think that the seeds I sourced are of the
UK variety. (if anyone knows of a supplier – please let me know)

Beans and Legumes – predominantly:

Lentils: I incorporate dried puy lentils into my cooking at least once a week and whilst they can be grown in the UK (though not guaranteed with success) the lentils that I purchased were of European origin. (Puy lentils are originally from France)

Dried beans are also included in my diet and it is quite easy to get UK sourced beans. You can make a range of interesting and exciting dishes with beans ranging from soups, pate’s, three bean chilli, Mexican wraps etc.

Chickpeas have a major role in my diet as I absolutely love hummus! However in order to reduce packaging I have started to try and make my own from dried chickpeas, organic lemon and locally sourced garlic. Chickpeas are typically imported in from Asian countries however they are also grown commercially in Southern Europe too. However I am going to start reducing my hummus intake as I perhaps have rather a lot.

Grains, cereal etc – predominantly:

Oats (from Scotland), Wheat (from UK), Millet (not sure), Quinoa (Can be grown in Europe)Brown rice (the rice I got from the Co-Op said country of origin Italy – apparently Italy is the leading producer of rice in Europe)

Herbal tea:

Last year I harvested lots of herbs from my garden and when at home I enjoy pots of delicious herbal tea such as thyme, peppermint, rosemary, sage and also nettle (which is high in iron). At work I usually drink lots of tap water and also herbal infusions from teabags.

Pledge update – conclusive remarks

Whilst my diet is 100% vegan, at the moment it’s probably approximately 90% organic and only 60-70% locally sourced and word free. I don’t think that I will be able to have a 100% locally sourced healthy vegan diet until I am able to be more self sufficient and grow my own nuts and legumes.

Pledge 3 – Grow more vegetables, herbs and fruits

This is not convenient at the moment as I am about to begin the process of selling my house thus even if I sowed some vegetable seeds in my garden I may not be there to harvest them. However upon selling my house I will be completely downsizing and going to move from Nottingham to the South of England to live with my fiancé where we will be renting a bedroom from a live in land lady who also has another tenant (4 people in a 3 bed roomed houses is very eco friendly).

In order to achieve my pledge of growing more fruit and veg (and also because I love gardening) I will be putting my name down for an allotment plot as soon as possible.

Pledge 4 – Buy no presents – instead make them

Forgive me for I have sinned. The last two presents I gave were store brought (books and cd’s) as opposed to home made, my excuse – I was too busy studying. I promise to try harder.

Pledge 5 – Cycle instead of getting the bus

I have walked to work on a few occasions (1 hour 20 mins) however I have yet to get my bike out and cycle to work. After Easter I WILL start cycling to work again.

Today sees the start of Fair Trade fortnight.

There’s more to Fair Trade than just food. It’s not just bananas, cocoa and coffee; Fair Trade can apply to clothes and even toys.

It’s about partnership with the suppliers in developing countries, making sure they get a fair price for their products, whilst ensuring decent working conditions and fair terms of trade, even for the smaller producers.

There are those who claim that retailers are jumping on the proverbial bandwagon to sell us Fair Trade products, but does it matter if they are? Fair Trade sales reached nearly £500 million in the UK last year and that’s down to consumers voting with their wallets to make a difference.

Certified Fair Trade products are easy to spot – they’re allowed to carry the Fairtrade Foundation’s mark.

The Fairtrade Foundation’s message for Fairtrade Fortnight 2008 is that, whilst sales of Fairtrade products continue to soar, change is still not happening quickly enough for the millions of the world’s poorest farmers who remain trapped in ‘trade poverty’. With 2 billion working people earning less than US$2 a day and many of these producing the products we put in our shopping baskets, the Fairtrade Foundation believes that it is critical to increase the momentum for change through Fairtrade in 2008.

Some argue that Fair Trade could be fairer, as much of the profit is still in the processing of the raw materials, which is often done in developed countries. As shoppers, we need to keep putting pressure on the major (and smaller) brands to do as much as possible to support the growers. In the meantime, Fair Trade at least ensures the farmers are getting a fairer deal.

The Fairtrade Foundation expects there to be over 10,000 local events during the fortnight. Find out if there’s a Fairtrade event near you. There’s a Fair Trade bus touring the country and local events range from coffee mornings and wine tasting to concerts and talks with producers.

On February 14th 2008, Valentines Day rolls along beckoning us Green Girls (and Guys) to wonder how we can celebrate a holiday meant to embody the spirit of LOVE without necessarily feeding into the consumerist frenzy.

So I thought I’d write my first piece for Green Girls Global about ways to Green our Valentines Day celebrations with the true intention of celebrating our LOVE not only for our sweethearts, but also for Mother Earth. As a Green-solutions based Consultant and Holistic Health & Wellness Counselor for Eco Umbrella, here are some wonderful tips I’ve come up with for your green and gorgeous selves:

1. What’s Valentine’s Day without FLOWERS, right? Well, how about planting some lovely potted flowers in your yard with your honey instead of buying a bouquet. Or better yet, plant a tree together in honor of your love for each other (and mother earth) and watch it grow each year, change with the seasons, and grow some roots. If you must buy flowers, however, I’ve got a list of lovely florists that grow the ORGANIC kind – a much better alternative for the earth and your loved one. Just email me at KSurla@EcoUmbrella.com and I’d be happy to suggest some. Go for the local and organic kind if you can!

2. CHOCOLATE – a dear friend once told me that chocolate might be one of the best things about Valentines. I don’t know if I necessarily agree, but it has been part of the “tradition” as far back as I can recall. So what can you do? Give some lovely hints about how Organic Chocolate is the way to go both for the taste and overall impact on the environment. Fair Trade and Organic Chocolate is even better! Some yummy brands I’ve sampled are Seeds of Change which gives 1% of net sales to “advance the cause of sustainable organic agriculture worldwide”; Divine, which is Fair Trade Certified using Fair Trade Cocoa from a cooperative of “smallholder farms in Ghana”; and Travel Chocolate which is both Organic and Fair Trade. I picked some of these up from the most recent Green Festival in San Francisco.

3. So now we head to the ROMANTIC Candle-lit Dinner. Instead of going to an overpriced fancy shmancy restaurant, I suggest staying in and cooking a lovely organic meal together. If you’re a Green Girl with a garden, use some of the lovely fruits, vegetable and herbs you’ve been growing. Pick them off together, wash them together, cut & dice and slice them together and prepare a lovely romantic, personal and (soy-based) candle-lit dinner in the wonderful privacy of your own home. Who can resist an organic, home cooked, prepared-with-love meal? Food is the key to many hearts, including mine – especially the aforementioned kind.

4. But if you can’t cook, then make a lovely date and go to a local farmers market to pick out some fresh produce, lovely fresh baked breads, and some gourmet dishes straight from the local farms that may make their own cheeses from happy and free roaming cows & sheep. Try out some new organic produce that you’ve never had a chance to taste and share. Create your own lovely picnic basket fresh from the farmers market.

5. After a stroll through the local farmers market, take a bike ride or walk to a local park, beach, or desert – whatever lovely nature spot tickles your fancy – and have a romantic picnic. Bring your own re-useable utensils from home and enjoy each other’s company in nature – a wonderful way to celebrate with Mother Earth herself.

6. So I’ve covered the flowers, chocolate, romantic dinner and food as well as some potential locations out in nature, so let’s get to the best tip of all, and my most favorite…. – for the non-conformist in all of us, why not make Valentines a celebration with friends, family and loved ones instead. Sometimes its not just about the two of you, but about the community around you – so incorporate some of the tips from above and make Valentines a festive gathering of your most beloved. Invite your friends to celebrate Valentines with you together out on the beach or go for a picnic. Share the LOVE and maybe even make it a Tree Planting Valentines gathering to give a little back to Mother Earth herself. Make love with each other. Be love. Give love.

I hope you have a fabulous Valentine’s day in 2008!

Did you know that November is World Vegan Month?

There are many reasons why people decide to go vegan. One of the popular reasons is environmental concern. Many vegans believe that avoiding animal products in general and boycotting factory farming in particular can actually save the world.

At online ethical fashion boutique Bourgeois Boheme we decided to reveal the myths and truth about the “V” minority group.

10 MYTHS ABOUT VEGANS

1. “Vegans are the pale anemic bunch”
No way Jose! Get yourself a bucket of cold water before you click into Vegan bodybuilders website. Olympic champion Carl Lewis, gorgeous Alicia Silverstone and hot Joaquin Phoenix are amongst famous vegan hotties. You may find the list of vegan celebs at www.goveg.com .

2. “If you want to know what’s in fashion, don’t bother asking a vegan”
The best fashion accessory for Vegans is the one matching their beliefs. The mainstream has now caught on that “Green is the new Black” and compassionate fashion is in vogue. Stella McCartney is one among many designers who refuses to use fur or leather in any of her prêt-a-porter collections.

3. “Vegans are Fruit loops”
There may be a few fruit loops amongst them but there are a few rather brilliant minds too. Mr Janez Drnovsek, president of Slovenia, is vegan, and just to name few revered veggie brains – Mahatma Gandhi, Albert Schweitzer, Albert Einstein and Leonardo Da Vinci. Maybe tofu is the next brain food …

4. “Vegans live on rabbit food”
Vegans love their rabbit food but they also love to tantilise their taste buds with scrumptious cuisines from around the world. Does the sound of Brazil Nut Choc Temptation sound too good to be vegan? Go to veginity.com for this recipe and more.

5. “Stylish Vegan footwear = Oxymoron”
Not anymore! Happy Vegan feet can now step out in style with stores like Bourgeois Boheme, www.bboheme.com . Footwear and accessories for both men and women are ethically sourced from around the world. Look out for the new collection under their own label coming out in the vegan month of November.

6. “Vegans love animals more than people”
The furry, scaly and warty ones are their passion but high on their priorities too is the welfare of their fellow 2-legged Homo sapiens variety too.

7. “Vegans will not rest until they convert the entire world into Vegans”
They would love everyone to be vegan of course but they do understand that this is the real world. Another way around is to set up a little country of vegans! One group hopes to purchase an island to establish their very own vegan island community.

8. “Vegans are all humourless, angry extremists”
You can speak out for animals and to have fun at the same time too. One such “cheeky” way is getting your gear off and running nude along the streets of Pamplona. Intrigued? Go to PETA’s (People for the Ethical treatment of Animals) runningofthenudes.com for more details.

9. “Vegans are tree huggers”
Indeed they are and they love hugging lots of other things too! Actually, veganism and environmentalism go hand in hand. Did you know that farmed animals, cow’s flatulence for one, produce more greenhouse gas emissions (18%) than the world’s entire transport system (13.5%)? Go to the Vegan Society for further interesting facts.

10. “Vegans have a chip on their shoulders”
“Let’s say you were stranded on a deserted island and your only food source was a turtle, would you eat it…?”
Vegans are bombarded with such absurd scenarios everyday; it’s not surprising that they may snap back! If you really want to know what vegetarian ethics is about go to Vegetarians International Voice for Animals website.

Happy Vegan Day!!!

Bourgeois Boheme
www.bboheme.com

For further information contact Vika Lebedeva
vika@bboheme.com
Bourgeois Boheme, PO BOX 803, Richmond TW9 4XW, UK
Office: 0208 408 2220
Mobile: 0794715567

I have recently transgressed (again) from being vegetarian to vegan. Since I was 12 I have been going through stages of being vegetarian and vegan and for about four years I was weak and went back to animal based food and products. However I am now 100% COMMITTED to being vegan and will never ever go back to animal based food or products.

Important! I am not writing this post nor will I be writing the subsequent Veganism posts with the aim of converting you all to being Vegan. Instead I am writing about veganism to share with you an element of my life and also to hopefully start a discussion / debate on GGG how our lifestyle choices can affect the planet and even our health (whether in negative or positive ways)

So you may be asking ‘Why vegan? Well I personally believe in the vegan principles and ethics. Also I am now 100% committed to being vegan because it is better for the environment and also my health.

Principles and Ethics

Some may argue that we are born omnivores (meat and veg) and that eating and using animal based products is only natural. But is killing any animal (including human) ‘natural’? Is exploiting any animal (including human) keeping them locked up in pain and suffering ‘natural’?

I don’t think that it is ‘natural’ at all. Yes in the animal kingdom and in the circle of life some other animals kill other animals for food and some even ‘fun’. But these animals do not have choice – as humans we have a choice to choose that no animal including humans suffer in order for us to survive as a species. We do not need to eat animals to survive. We do not need to exploit anyone or anything including animals, humans or the planet to survive.

For more information about vegan principles and ethics then please watch the The philosophy of Vegan Values: The practice of non-violence Youtube video, go to the Veganism article on Wikipedia, or go to The Vegan Society website.

Environmental Benefits

Being a vegan is better for the environment compared to an animal based diet because fewer resources are used.

Here is a simple demonstration:

Land + Water + Energy = Crops

Land + Water + Energy + Crops = Livestock and dairy products

I could go into this in much further detail but the post would be far too long. However hopefully from the simple diagram you can see by eating meat or having dairy products additional resources are being used. So to me it makes sense to just eat the crops. Yes energy and land is needed to grow crops and I will write more about vegan farming / agriculture in another post.

If you want more information about the environmental benefits of being vegan then please check out an interesting online essay called ‘Logical Environmental Reasoning for a Vegetarian Lifestyle’.

Also some food for thought is, in “A 2006 study by Gidon Eshel and Pamela Martin, assistant professors of geophysics at the

University of Chicago, found that a person switching from the average American diet to a vegan diet would reduce CO₂ emissions by 1,485 kg per year.” Source: Diet, Energy and Global Warming study.

Health Benefits

As the vegan society says “How many times have you been told to eat more fruit and veg? Contrast this with how many times you’ve been told to eat more burgers…” The typical vegan will eat more fruit and veg than the average meat eater! And who can deny that an increase of fruit and veg is bad? Also people who “avoid meat also tend to have lower levels of saturated fat, cholesterol, and animal protein, and higher levels of carbohydrates, fiber, magnesium, potassium, folate, and antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, and phytochemicals” Source: “Position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada: Vegetarian diets (June 2003)

A well balanced vegan diet provides a range of health benefits compared to meat eaters and even vegetarians. For further details about the health benefits and for some recipe ideas etc, check out Super Vegans – Living proof vegan diets and nutrition.

Next Post

My next veganism post will explore about how easy it is to be Vegan using organic and locally sourced food. But in the mean time feel free to leave comments about your experiences of being a vegan or your arguments for or even against the various benefits of veganism including environmental.

I beleive that local, fresh and organic food can help to prevent ill-health and also help heal those who are ill. Which is why I am  supporting Nottingham City and QMC Hospital’s proposal to have an on-site kitchen using sustainable development technologies at the hospital.

The proposed kitchen would supply patients with freshly cooked food, brought in from local farmers. This would replace the existing food contract that the hospitals have with a large food contractor who currently provides cook-chill meals and delivers these from its Colchester base.

If you would like to provide feedback about this proposal (I have) then write as soon as possible to:

Mr John Hughes, Catering Manager, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Hucknall Road, Nottingham, NG5 1PB.

For those who do not live in Nottingham or the UK even, why not encourage your hospital to use local food and cook it on site too.

What do you do with 20 kilos of apples?

What can’t you do!  After harvesting a ridiculous amount of apples from my future in-laws allotment plot I have spent evenings baking and making various apple related goods, including cider vinegar, apple chutney, apple pies, apple tarts, apple and cinnamon buns.

As well as stocking up my freezer and pantry, I have distributed these goods between family, friends and work colleagues. All of whom have been most grateful, it does go to show you don’t need to give people expensive gifts to make them happy.

If you do have space in your garden I reccommend that you do plant some fruit trees and bushes so you can make your own delicious food too. Even in a small space you can have fruit trees because you can purchase restricted rooted trees which will grow in pots. So go on, get planting a fruit tree this autumn.