Vegan Month of Food 2016 Day 20 - "It's Easy Being Green!"

Ah, with day number 20 comes one of the best prompts.... GREEN! You want to see green, green it shall be.

For your information, we took it kind of easy today. We took a trip into Key West for a plant show, bumped into some friends, puttered around the beach when we got back, stood still in nature, and all that fun stuff.

We have the option of showing you green as in food, or green as in eco initiatives. Every day of my life is advocating for eco-initiatives, both through this business, and our home. I went with my own vibe of taking it easy today, and made a Matcha green tea latte the way I like it. 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk, 1/2 cup filtered water, 1.5 tsp Matcha. That's it. No sweetener. I warmed everything up, then poured it into my $1 hand pump frother from the thrift.

Look!

I know this doesn't LOOK green, but it is!
Matcha green tea latte, unsweetened.
Under all that pretty foam is the prettiest shade of green.

Now, about those eco initiatives. As someone who runs an authentic green lodge and happens to be a certified wildlife paraprofessional, I'd like to ask you to do these things:

-make an investment in reusable straws. We use stainless here at the inn, they're fantastic and go straight through the dishwasher. They come in other materials too, including tempered glass, which I happen to like just as much, but wasn't available back when I made my purchase years ago.

-carry a stainless water bottle with you. Stop buying water in plastic. It's full of chemicals and pollutes the planet as well.

-stop using plastic bags! Carry canvas, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE CARRY CANVAS. Plastic bags look strikingly like jellyfish once they hit the ocean, sea turtles eat them and die, it's a HUGE problem. The problem is not limited to just sea turtles, but all wildlife.

-stop buying balloons. That's right, stop now. Helium is a finite resource, plus balloons are NOT biodegradable, that's just propaganda from the balloon industry. Further, the ribbons used on balloons somehow seem to end up in watersheds too. I still mourn the beautiful cormorant I pulled dead off the beach who had choked to death on balloons and ribbons she tried to eat from some idiot who obviously couldn't see past their own ego, and did a balloon release. This is a tough one to educate about at times, but crucial. Heck, even where I live, right here in nature central, people actually do lantern and balloon releases. They're not legal, but somehow everyone gets a free pass. Just say no.

-Carry a thermos when you travel, put your soups and chilis in there when you get things to go.

-carry stainless or other suitable reusable containers for take out. We leave ours in the car at the ready!

-carry reusable utensils all the time with you, you'll use them more than you think!

-Buy in bulk, close the loop before it's open if you get my drift.

-xeriscape

-collect rainwater and use it!

-install low flow valves on all faucets

-install setback thermostats

-upgrade appliances to energy savers/hi efficiency

-Shop thrifts

-do more with less

Just to name a few things.

Oh, I'd like to mention that I'm super upset with Stephen Hawking lately. For the second time in a year, he's made his urgent plea that humans have very little time to colonize another planet if we are to insure our own species survives for long term. I'd love to have a chat with him on this topic. Go ruin another planet? That's the advice from one of the most brilliant minds of our modern times? NO! The thing we have to do is go vegan NOW, stop wasting NOW, conserve NOW, and stop with the massive human population growth. So far, he has not called, but I'll be ready when he does.

Lastly, we're a green lodge who has to go through a process to get this accreditation, and are subject to audit at any time. We also have to submit our hard data on consumption including water, electrical, waste, among other things. Isn't it interesting that the number one thing we do here (vegan) is not even factored into the equation for our accreditation. We're working to change that. We've been in the program for about 12 year, so far our plea continues to fall on deaf ears. That's just a reminder for all of us.... not a moment to spare, always advocate.

You want to be green? Be an advocate. Poof, you're green! Now, go make your tea and enjoy.

Green strong!! xo