By Eliza Cross, on May 8th, 2012%
 Photo by Joost J. Bakker IJmuiden Yesterday I read an article on the PR news site Bulldog Reporter about the meat industry’s “image crisis.” From the public outcry against “pink slime,” to a recent incident of mad cow disease in a dairy cow, to the Harvard study released this spring that suggests eating meat could lead to premature death, this spring has been a PR practitioner’s nightmare.
According to the LA Times article cited in the story, “beef historian and author Maureen Ogle believes the industry should have responded by running polished advertisements featuring ranchers touting their American heritage, as well as billboards proclaiming the safety of products, and executives should have been sent to major talk shows.”
As a PR professional myself, I politely beg to disagree. I don’t think the meat industry has an image crisis that calls for a more polished public relations response. The meat industry has a listening crisis. The reason the media is filled with so much negative news is because the U.S. meat industry is not hearing its customers.
We are a household that still eats meat. I try to purchase from local producers who use organic feed, let animals graze, and treat them humanely, but like most people, sometimes I’m trying to live within the budget or I’m in a hurry and I purchase supermarket meat. I find that our family is moving to an increasingly vegetarian diet for many reasons – not the least of which is our distaste for much the U.S. meat industry’s standard practices. Your feelings may be different, of course, but here’s what I wish the meat industry would hear:
- We don’t want animals suffering in fetid feedlots or stuffed in crowded cages – not at any cost. We want humane treatment of animals raised for food production.
- We humans don’t want to have to forgo antibiotics when we’re sick, because of your continued overuse in the meat industry. (Factory farm animals consume 80% of all antibiotics in this country. The European Union curtailed use of routine antibiotic use on farms in 2006.)
- We don’t want you to pump these animals full of hormones like rBGH to induce quick growth. Let them grow up naturally. (The European Union, Japan, Australia and Canada have all banned the use of rBGH due to animal and human health concerns.)
- We want you to feed these animals good food that is part of their natural diet. We don’t want you to force animals that are herbivores, like cattle, to eat feed manufactured with animal by-products.
- We don’t want pink slime or other cheap additives in our meat. We simply want good, top-quality meat. (Canada, the UK and European Union have banned pink slime from their meat, but here it can constitute up to a whopping 15 percent of our ground beef without any labeling. Why?)
- We want you to take the lead in good practices. We want to be proud of our United States producers and processors, and we want U.S.-raised meat to be the best in the world.
In March 2012, ground beef sales slipped to the lowest level in a decade. Consumers are clearly voting with their checkbooks, and one can only hope that the U.S. meat industry collectively decides to improve its practices, not its propaganda.
What do you think?
Eliza Cross is a full-time writer and the author of five books about home design and food. She has been blogging about simplicity and sustainable living since 2006.
By Eliza Cross, on April 8th, 2012%
 Photo by Karen Roe American honeybees are disappearing at an alarming rate, and some think the EPA knows why. A growing body of evidence shows that widespread use of nicotine-based insecticides called neonicotinoids is linked to Colony Collapse Disorder.
Several countries, including Germany and France, have already banned clothianidin. And – Halleluia! – after the bans, bee populations began to rise again.
But in the U.S., clothianidin is still used on millions of acres of crops of corn, soy, wheat, cotton, sorghum, peanuts and more. American beekeepers report losses of up to 90% of their bees, and many worry that their hives won’t survive another season.
Here’s how to help:
1. Sign Change.org’s petition to urge the EPA to end the harmful pesticide’s use. As of today, the organization has gathered nearly 125,000 of the 150,000 signatures it seeks to present to the EPA. The form is quick and easy, and Change.org won’t share your personal info.
2. Post a link to your Facebook or Twitter page urging others to do the same. Here’s a ready-made tweet:
Save the bees! Sign your name to support urging the EPA to ban harmful pesticides now http://chn.ge/Hoh9Yr via @change
That’s all there is to it. Change.org has provided the impetus for numerous citizen-led causes, and every signature helps send the message that we care about our planet.
P.S. If you want to welcome bees to your garden this summer check out Urban Bee Gardens for tons of ideas, from bee-attracting plants to creating bee-friendly habitats.
Eliza Cross is a full-time writer and the author of five books about home design and food. She has been blogging about simplicity and sustainable living since 2006.
By Eliza Cross, on July 27th, 2011%
I just love Greek yogurt with fruit, like this FAGE nonfat Greek yogurt with Strawberry “Goji,” whatever that is. BUT, this tiny cup retails for $1.69 at our supermarket. According to the ingredients list, twenty percent of the product is the strawberry topping–which means that the cup contains only about 4 ounces of yogurt. That’s pretty expensive when I can make a 32-ounce batch of homemade Greek yogurt for just a few dollars. (Here’s the recipe, in case you missed it in my earlier post.) Plus, I’m trying to eliminate disposable packaging as much as possible. But those little cups are so cute, with their spoon-shaped compartment of…goji. What’s a sustainability-lovin’ girl to do?
I recently made a batch of regular (non-Greek) yogurt, but one morning I awoke craving one of those little goji cups. So I experimented and set up a small strainer with an unbleached coffee filter inside like this:
I added two cups of yogurt and let it sit for about an hour. The straining process reduced the volume by half, and I poured off the whey (which I freeze and save for cooking).
Then I spooned the thick, creamy Greek yoghurt in a bowl — a luxurious eight ounces instead of the measly four offered in the little FAGE cups — and (since we happened to be out of goji) added a swirl of homemade strawberry jam.
The result? The best cup of Greek Yogurt with Strawberry Goji I’ve ever had. Now that I know I can have it on demand whenever I like, I’m a whole lot more pleasant in the morning. Okay, that’s not really true. But this homemade version of one of my favorite treats does make me happy. Try it and see if you agree.
P.S. This post was shared on Frugally Sustainable’s Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways.
Eliza Cross is a full-time writer and the author of five books about home design and food. She has been blogging about simplicity and sustainable living since 2006.
By Eliza Cross, on July 22nd, 2011%
For gardeners everywhere, the summer of 2011 has been an interesting one. It seems that record-setting weather is the norm rather than the exception for most of the United States, and many other parts of the world as well. Here in Colorado, June was hot and dry followed by one of the wettest Julys on record. For the most part, the garden is doing fine and enjoying the extra moisture. Here are a few photos of some of the plants:
A pumpkin plant has lots of blooms but the leaves are a little yellow from all the rain.
The bottom leaves of the cherry tomato plant are a little yellow, too, but it has lots of blooms and green tomatoes. Our garden is 100% organic and the only fertilizer we use is homemade compost.
The jalapenos are kind of puny this year. I think chiles prefer hot, dry weather.
The garlic, chives and onions seem completely happy with the extra water!
The currant bushes are loaded with ripe fruit.
The strawberries are blooming and putting out fruit for the second time this season.
While I was snapping photos, a butterfly stopped by for an early morning drink.
How does your garden grow this summer? I’d love to hear how you and your plants are doing.
P.S. While it rains here, across the globe the skies are dry. If you watched NBC Nightly News last night, you saw a heartbreaking report about the famine crisis in Africa due to the region’s worst drought in half a century. More than 11 million people in Somalia and parts of Kenya and Ethiopia need food assistance due to the drought, according to the United Nations. Nearly half of the Somali population, 3.7 million people, desperately need food and water. Even a small donation could save lives, and you can find a list of key organizations providing aid here.
Eliza Cross is a full-time writer and the author of five books about home design and food. She has been blogging about simplicity and sustainable living since 2006.
By Eliza Cross, on July 10th, 2011%
This month I’m giving away a brand-new copy of a terrific book, The City Homesteader. Written by Scott Meyer, this 272-page book has tons of great ideas for people who live in urban areas yet long to be more self sufficient and live more sustainably.
Meyer was formerly on staff at Organic Gardening, and accordingly, the book has plenty of advice and tips for growing your own fruits and vegetables – including a growing guide at the back of the book. Meyer also delves into other home food sources, from building a bee house to raising goats. Plus, he provides excellent information for preserving all that wonderful food, from canning your own homemade pickles to making homemade fruit leather.
To enter the drawing, simply comment below about the one homesteading skill you’d like to try someday – whether you live in a city skyscraper or a rural farm. The deadline to enter is midnight MST on July 18, 2011. On July 19 I’ll use Random.org to pick a winner and announce it here. Good luck, and I can’t wait to hear your responses.
Eliza Cross is a full-time writer and the author of five books about home design and food. She has been blogging about simplicity and sustainable living since 2006.
By Eliza Cross, on May 4th, 2011%
“I am thankful for a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home…. I am thankful for the piles of laundry and ironing because it means my loved ones are nearby.”
~ Nancie J. Carmody
Spring has sprung, and while some of us no longer adhere to the whole-house spring cleaning rituals of our grandparents’ generation I do notice that winter has taken its toll on our windows. Professional window cleaning can cost upwards of $7 per window, which doesn’t include deep cleaning. Instead, you can wash your own windows with materials you probably already have around the house — and pocket the savings. Better yet, the cleaning solution and supplies are completely eco-friendly!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid dishwashing soap (this tiny amount helps get the windows really clean)
- spray bottle
- newspapers
- sponge or rag
- dishwashing or work gloves (optional)
 Combine the water, vinegar and dishwashing soap and pour the mixture in the spray bottle. If there are odd bits of crud on the windows, use a wet sponge to gently remove them. If you don’t want to get newsprint on your hands, now’s the time to don the gloves. Fold two pieces of newspaper into a paper towel-sized rectangle, and fold in half. (In case you’re wondering, newspaper is the perfect medium for washing windows because the newsprint’s slightly abrasive texture gets the glass squeaky clean.)
Spray some of the cleaner on the windows and use a horizontal stroke to wipe down the outside of the windows. Switch to a vertical stroke for the inside of the windows and continue cleaning. Avoid the window frames, because newsprint can sometimes leave a mark on the frames.
Keep a sponge or rag handy to wipe the window sill and catch drips. When the newspaper becomes dirty and soaked, put it in the recycling bin and grab a fresh piece. Check your work; horizontal streaks mean you need to go over the outside, and vertical streaks mean you need to go over the inside. With a little elbow grease, your windows will soon be sparkling and streak-free!
Are you doing any spring cleaning this May? I’d love to hear about your projects.
Eliza Cross is a full-time writer and the author of five books about home design and food. She has been blogging about simplicity and sustainable living since 2006.
By Eliza Cross, on March 26th, 2011%
“It is more rewarding to watch money change the world than to watch it accumulate.” ~ Gloria Steinem
I just signed up for the ‘One in a Million’ Movement over at Big Green Purse. The idea is that if a million people pledge to shift $1,000 of spending to more environmentally-friendly products, we’ll have a one billion dollar impact in the marketplace.
When you make the pledge, you’re given a checklist of things to commit to switching:
- organic fruits & vegetables
- phthalate-free cosmetics
- fuel-efficient car
- energy-efficient appliances
- shade-grown coffee
- energy-saving home repairs
- organic cotton/hemp clothing
- organic milk
- recycled paper products
- safer toys
- compact fluorescent light bulbs
- furniture made from eco-certified wood
- water-saving appliances
I’ve been increasingly choosing environmentally friendly products anyway, but I love the organized effort and the impact a million committed people can make.
How about you? What switches are you making for eco-friendly products, and are you happy with your choices?
Eliza Cross is a full-time writer and the author of five books about home design and food. She has been blogging about simplicity and sustainable living since 2006.
By Eliza Cross, on March 19th, 2011%
“What amazes me is that most days feel useless. I don’t seem to accomplish anything – just a few pages, most of which don’t seem very good. Yet, when I put all those wasted days together, I somehow end up with a book of which I’m very proud.” ~ Louis Sachar, author of more than 20 books
Why I Began Thinking About The Value of Small Steps
I recently decided to open a separate investment account to begin saving for our next car. I don’t plan to buy an automobile for many years, but I like the idea of having the money set aside so it’s there when the time comes.
For now I’ve been putting aside $25 a month, and I was a little discouraged when I reviewed the account statement recently and saw that the balance had reached just $175.00. “What’s the use?” that negative little voice in my head said. “At the rate you’re going, it’ll never amount to anything.”
“Not so fast, Kemosabe,” the positive little voice in my head said. “Stick with your plan.” Thank goodness the wise voice is the one I try to listen to. After all, I’ve lived and breathed the benefits of incremental acts and persistence, from writing books to saving money to paying off debt. You probably have, too.
After I told the negative voice to beat it, I made a list of some of the amazing things that can be accomplished with small steps, consistency and perseverance:
1. Learn a new skill. Got 15 minutes a day? You could learn how to speak a foreign language, play an instrument or Continue reading 15 Amazing Benefits of Small Steps, Consistency and Perseverance
Eliza Cross is a full-time writer and the author of five books about home design and food. She has been blogging about simplicity and sustainable living since 2006.
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