Filed under: Sustainability
A short article at Huffington Post. As you know, we have plenty of “green” cleaning products for sale at the coop! Even good ol’ vinegar… in bulk!
Read about this year’s challenge at the A Better World By Design conference. It is to solve the problems of food deserts in Providence, RI, in a way that is replicable in other places. Our proposed location on East Genesee has the potential to help out folks on the north side of that road, some of whom are elderly and have to cross Erie Boulevard on foot to get to Aldi’s (according to our friend at Meals on Wheels). Not everyone has a car! And in our future of quickly depleting oil reserves, even fewer of us will.
Filed under: Sustainability
Dara O’Rourke, professor of environmental and labor policy at UC Berkeley, has founded a company that rates the health, environmental and social impact of various consumer goods. The website, Good Guide, rates products so that you can choose those that reflect your values. For example, I just rated my shampoo, Nexxus. It gets a whopping 3.9 out of ten points:
Health 4.0
Environment 3.3
Society 4.3
Well! In my defense, I chose it because PETA had it listed on it’s cruelty-free list a few years back. Time to change brands… and ratings websites!
There are all kinds of coops: health care, farmers, utilities, etc. If you’d like to learn more about cooperative grocery stores, there is a free listserv you can sign up for.
Filed under: Sustainability
Great article in The New Republic about the Obama administration strengthening our federal regulatory agencies. Systematically weakened from the 1980s, finally culminating in mining disasters, vitamins with dangerous levels of lead, sick cattle polluting the food system, and the current Gulf crisis, impartial experts are joining the ranks of the FDA, OSHA, etc., and working for the American people.
Filed under: Sustainability
The husband of my friend Elaine (librarians rock!) just bought her some recycled elephant poo paper. Yes. No. Really. “100% Recycled and Odorless Products Made From Poo!” says the website. Also available: products from koala, cow, and horse poo. Lots of fiber in it, apparently. Check it out here.
Our focus on eating local foods and supporting our farmers is one step towards reducing our oil dependence. Progress! This article details the grassroots Transition Albany project, which aims to make SF more sustainable. What ideas can we take as inspiration?
Filed under: Sustainability
If you missed today’s New York Times article, there quite a bit of food for thought there: Quit waving signs. Drive less. And might I add: use cleaning products that do not contain petroleum and reduce the use of plastic.
One of the joys of hotel stays is the free copy of USA Today (“NO. 1 IN THE USA”… probably because they give it away free in bajillions of hotels!). I like how Laurie Anderson calls it “the happy paper.” But I digress. One of Friday’s cover stories is Diversity grows as majority dwindles. Everyone should read this, please.
What does this have to do with our coop? Well, take a look around; who do you see? Are the faces you see reflective of our community? Fortunately, our new location will give us the opportunity to serve (and employ) the community as it actually is.
Wow! What an information-filled day! It’s so great to see cooperators from around the country. Did you know that there are now around 300 food coops here in the US?
I went to several sessions and have a lot to report. Because it’s 11 pm and I gotta get up early, it’ll have to wait! But I’ll leave you with a great idea I learned: now that the desire for organic and local foods has become more mainstream, we can expect Wal-Mart to soon begin to carry local, organic produce. What do our coops have to offer that can compete with that? Community and authenticity. What are some of your suggestions around building our capacity for these character traits?
