Minnesota Weather Disasters Cost Big Money

Minnesota prides itself in being number one, but who would think that land locked Minnesota would top the list in weather insurance claims?? We are all paying for climate change with our health and wallets. Minnesota has become the “New Florida” of the Midwest in paying for weather disasters. The new numbers from 2013 bring Minnesota into the top three states in the United States for catastrophic weather losses. AND…Insurance rates in Minnesota have increased 267% since 1997 according to Bob Johnson of the Insurance Federation of Minnesota.

The tornadoes in Illinois probably bumped Minnesota out of the number one spot for 2013, but the trend continues, and the frequency of extreme rains and hail is one of the triggers of insurance rate increases for Minnesota.

The changes in climate are happenings faster than we have ever seen, and it is clear we are changing the composition of the atmosphere according to Meteorologist Paul Huttner on Minnesota Public Radio.

Yes, we are already paying enormous costs because of the changes in our atmosphere and those that pollute should be paying their fair share. Polluters should be responsible for paying a fee for their contribution of carbon entering the atmosphere. This is a global problem. Minnesota, and the United States together with the EU, need to take leadership to work with the entire world to do what we can to mitigate the climate effects we are seeing. And we should all strive to reduce our individual pollution footprint. Our health and the health of our earth depend on an enormous cooperative effort.

http://blogs.mprnews.org/updraft/2014/01/climate-cast-minnesota-near-1-in-extreme-weather-catastrophic-losses-in-2013/

Also, see below the number one catastrophic disaster for the world. It will surprise you:

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/global-disasters-killed-cost-2013-21444994

A New Year

A New Year on Lake Superior

Lake Superior beyond the lake sprayed trees

unusual snow deposts — Unusual snow deposits, koala bears climb the tree?

Embrace the beauty

Snowshoe through snowy balsams

Into deer bedrooms

Five days of below zero cold. The magnificent beauty of winter is at it’s best and the quality of the snow for snowshoeing is perfect. Chickadees, downy and pileated woodpeckers work to find food. Deer tracks cover the woods. The bay in front of our house has frozen over, but a strong lake wind could change that in a minute. A fisherman has ventured out on the tenuous ice.

And…my 3 year old buck friend has survived another hunting season!

It Is Cold Outside, Make Some Soup!

When it’s cold, make soup from whatever you have in your refrigerator. This is just a suggestion.

Quinoa Vegetable Soup

3 carrots cleaned and chopped

2 celery ribs chopped

1 small zucchini sliced

1 sweet apple diced (I used fireside)

green beans fresh, frozen or canned 1 -2 cups

2 vegan vegetable broth cubes

2 bay leaves

1 T basil

½ cup rinsed fair trade quinoa

2 cloves garlic

1 ½ tsp sea salt

2 pinches of rosemary

About 7 cups of water

Brown onion in a large pot until it just begins to turn brown. Next add apple, garlic and the remainder of vegetables. Stir and fry about 5 minutes. Add salt, broth cubes, basil, bay leaf, quinoa, and water. Simmer for about one hour. Serve hot with bread, crackers and grated cheese.

A Happier Healthier 2014 For You

“Maybe you can’t change the whole world, but you can change your world.” Harvey Mackay

Climate change is real, human activity is causing it, and with all of us taking simple actions we can make a big difference. Below are my suggestions for a new commitment to our earth, our children, and to our own health!

My top TEN suggestions for a happier healthier 2014:

Always turn off lights and unplug electronics when not in use. For me this is a constant effort because I love light during the winter!
Drive less: Walk, bike, ride share, Carpool, combine errands, and take public transport.
Reduce two-cycle engine pollution: Add more garden and pollinator friendly plants to reduce your lawn mowing, shovel snow by hand, and choose silent sports. Polluting our air is not cool!!
Purchase products made from recycled materials. This saves energy, trees, water and natural resources. Recycled paper products are the easiest to find.
Reduce or eliminate your use of pesticides, especially Neonicotinoids. You, your pets, birds and butterflies will be much healthier.
Reduce or eliminate beef from your diet. Producing beef uses lots of energy!
Recycle all plastics, glass and metal cans, and of course paper. According to TerraCycle 84% of household waste can be recycled
Turn down the thermostat and survey your home for ways it can be more efficient. Schedule an energy audit from your local power company.
Read Labels: Never purchase or use hand wash or cleaning products with Triclosan. There is evidence they are hormone disrupters and they concentrate in our lakes and streams. Change your cleaning products to reduce chemicals in your home. Baking soda and vinegar can clean almost anything! This is a link to make your own products: http://www.pca.state.mn.us/index.php/view-document.html?gid=11368
Finally, work to elect leaders that believe in Climate change.

http://www.ways2gogreenblog.com/2013/12/30/simple-green-new-years-resolutions/

http://mashable.com/2013/10/22/reduce-carbon-footprint/ What you can do for climate change

http://www.ways2gogreenblog.com/2013/10/29/going-green-five-ways-update-home-save-money-utilities/

http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2014/01/9-sacrifice-free-resolutions.html?src=link&utm_source=greenlife&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter

Happy Holidays!

I recently read that Americans aren’t very happy. What could make us happier?

Below are 10 Commandments of Happiness from the Happiness Project:

* Take it easy.

* Be yourself!

* Handle your responsibilities.

* Exercise understanding.

* Leave your worries behind.

** Live honestly!

** Behave positively.

** Open your heart and your mind!!

** Share your time, attention and talents with others.

My Additions:

*** Smile

*** Recycle at least 50% of your trash, and do everything you can to protect our water and air. I promise, this will make you happy!

http://www.startribune.com/business/235791861.html

http://gretchenrubin.com/ Happiness project

Consume Less, Recycle More

“It’s not shopping in itself that’s so harmful, it’s what we buy,” says information released by Adbusters. “As consumers, we should question the products we buy and the companies who produce them.”

SO, How can we become better consumers? We have incredible power with our consumer dollars. How can we use that power wisely?

Why would you want to reinforce corporate greed with your purchases when we can support local green home grown businesses? This holiday shop where business are trying to do right by our earth and for their employees. Every year I am amazed at the creative businesses I discover…… Imagine all the wonderful small green businesses we could reinforce with our wallets.

Everyone wants to save money, but you are not saving money when you purchase lots of cheap junk that will end up in the land fill next year!. About 8 years ago, I stopped shopping Target, and was surprised by the money saved because I was avoiding lots of cheap products we could live without. One of the best things we can do for our planet is to consume less.

We can use our dollars to support local, green, and homegrown businesses. We can shop for quality and keep dollars in our own communities.

My ten tips for Health4earth holiday shopping:

1. Always shop with your reusable bags, and avoid plastic.

2. Read the labels and ask where products are manufactured. Local craft fairs of handmade items are wonderful for holiday gifts.

3. Shop businesses that pay a living wage and businesses that sell fair trade items.

4. Shop local in your neighborhood, walk or take public transport if possible.

5. Reinforce businesses and restaurants that recycle and do not use styrofoam. I just learned the Mall Of America does NOT recycle bottles and cans.

6. Never buy products for children, including toys, made in China unless you are certain they are chemical free.

7. Avoid purchases from developing countries that lack regulation and enforcement of worker standards such as China, Bangladesh, and India. The closer to home our purchases are manufactured the better handle we have on working conditions and salary. Some countries do not enforce child labor laws! You can be confident “fair-trade” doesn’t have these problems.

8. Purchase for quality and things that will last. A friend’s new apartment refrigerator lasted 3 years, and it was replaced instead of repaired. That must end!!

9. Don’t forget consignment and reuse businesses.

10. Always recycle packaging and purchase products with minimal packaging.

Below are some great sensible businesses that care about our earth and their employees.

http://bgreenapparel.com/

http://www.earthcreations.net/

http://tesoromio.org/

http://www.doitgreen.org/

http://www.mygreenhome.co/

http://www.mossenvy.com/ http://m.startribune.com/?id=234843231 Article on Moss Envy

http://footvote.com/

www.americanapparael.net

www.foreverusa.com

Related Articles

http://www.indigenous.com/public/uploads/blog/transparency-2.jpeg What is fair trade?

http://www.nasdaq.com/article/als-emporium-happy-thanksgrabbing-20131125-00236

http://action.greenamerica.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=12485 less tinsel, more joy pledge

http://earth911.com/general/buy-nothing-day/

Bees and Monarch Butterflies Can’t Wait

This ad from Save-Bees.org is running in newspapers across the United States: http://savebees.org/

“Honey Bees, native bees and other pollinators are responsible for 1 out of every 3 bites of food we eat. Bees pollinate 71 of the 100 crops that make up 90% of the world’s food supply. Many fruits and vegetables, including apples, blueberries, strawberries, carrots and broccoli, as well as almonds and coffee, rely on bees. These beneficial insects are critical to maintaining our diverse food supply.

Honey bee populations have been in alarming decline since 2006 Widespread use of a new class of toxic pesticides, neonicotinoids, is a significant contributing factor…..

This week, 15 countries are imposing a two-year restriction on the use of several of these chemicals. Meanwhile, the United States is stalling. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates it will be 2018, 5 years from now, before it makes a decision on this deadly class of pesticides

Bees can’t wait 5 more years–they are dying now. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has the power and responsibility to protect our pollinators. Our nation’s food system depends on it.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/24/sunday-review/the-year-the-monarch-didnt-appear.html?_r=0 An important article about the state of our pollinators.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/12/03/why-are-the-monarch-butterflies-disappearing/#wwftw131204

One of the few monarch buttlerflies in 2013 — One of the few monarch butterflies in 2013

Happy Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie

No-Bake Vegan Pumpkin Pie:

Adapted from “32 vegan recipes perfect for Thanksgiving” Use organic ingredients for this healthy pie.

Walnut/Date Crust: Process in a food processor: 9 coarsely cut seeded dates (add a few dates at a time) with 2 cups walnuts. Press mixture into a glass pie plate. Freeze until ready to add filling.

Pumpkin Filling:

2 cups cashews soaked over night and then drained

1 can pumpkin

½ cup coconut oil

¼ to ½ cup agave or maple syrup (to taste)

juice of ½ lemon

1 tsp vanilla

½ tsp salt

1 heaping tsp cinnamon

½ tsp allspice

Process all together in a food processor and place on walnut/date crust. Refrigerate several hours before serving. Make a day ahead for the best flavor. Garnish with your favorite fruit. Keep refrigerated.

November on Lake Superior

Yogi Berra on November: “It’s getting late earlier”

Strong winds dominate, as winds and waves pound the lake’s sandstone cliffs. The sun sets at 4:28pm and sunny days are few.

2 adult eagle have a favorite pine tree in front of our house where they perch to watch the beautiful lake. The chickadees, nuthatches, gold finch and squirrels are gorging for the months ahead. I scatter milkweed, aster, hyssop, vervain and cone flower seeds as I dream of the pollinators we will see in the summer.

A large young buck walks the road and I tell him to go hide in the woods because it is hunting season. Later, three hunters jump out of their truck and shoot rifles from the road near signs prohibiting firearm shooting. In the direction of their shots live 2 houses of children. They are grouse hunting and the sheriff tells us that grouse hunters can shoot from the middle of gravel roads, but what about those of us who live here and desire safe peaceful outdoor time? Yes, we can live together, but all need to follow the rules, and respect everyone’s outdoor space.

Precycle This Holiday Season

“How much waste are you purchasing” Minnesota Pollution Control

Plastic bottles and plastic bags litter our oceans, lakes, streams, and our countryside. This is a serious worldwide problem. What are some ways we can generate less plastic litter and less landfill trash?

On America Recycle’s Day I am posting my tips to precycle. When you precycle you make wise purchases that lead to less waste.

Below are my suggestions to encourage precycling, and you might be surprised to find you are already be doing the precycle drill.

First, always bring your reusable bags shopping, and resist all plastic bags.

Second, choose products that use minimal packaging, and packaging that can be recycled. Many corporations are making an effort to reduce packaging and offer packaging that can be recycled. Be sure you recycle as much packaging as possible.

Third, carry your own reuseable water bottle. The number of plastic bottles I see in the trash is shameful!

Always choose glass products over plastic. Glass products can be reused, they don’t have the harmful chemicals of plastic and they can be made into new glass bottles.

Fifth, Bulk purchases allow you to get just the amount you need, and I fill my reusable containers with bulk items. Nuts, spices, oatmeal, tea, grains, beans and laundry soap are great bulk items. Whole Foods and coops have recyclable/compostable brown paper bags for bulk items. Placing your bulk items in a “one use” plastic bag negates the environmental advantage of bulk purchases.

Sixth, use washable reusable cloth bags for produce purchases instead of plastic bags, and avoid products on styrofoam trays wrapped in plastic film.

Finally, always use cardboard egg cartons. They can be composed or cut up and used as mulch around plants. They can also be reused/refilled at some stores.

Recycle everything possible, and return all plastic bags to locations that collect and recycle them.

Please share your tips for precycling

http://terracyclecommunity.com/2013/11/05/5-ways-to-reuse-at-home/

http://www.ways2gogreenblog.com/2013/05/30/how-to-live-green-to-protect-yourself-and-the-planet-earth/

http://myplasticfreelife.com/

http://earth911.com/art-entertainment/plastic-free-life/2 Interview with Beth Terry