March for Ukraine

Buy less, waste less and use less energy!

Two bad things are happening in the world. Europe is at war in Ukraine, and a new UN report says climate change is going to cause many future problems. UN climate report: ‘Atlas of human suffering’ worse, bigger – StarTribune.com

We know the drill to help ward off climate problems, drive less, use less plastic, eat less meat, and reduce food waste. Buy less, waste less, and use less energy!

Every day I take three breaths for peace to help Ukraine. Here is a list of organizations to support and help Ukraine: See below and Donate to the fund of the National Bank of Ukraine – Official website of Ukraine

I was in Ukraine in 2013. The people were very kind, helping us get around, take public transportation, and order food. My husband and I loved the beautiful country and kind people!

Yes, we are under stress worrying about Ukraine and climate change. Below is the mindful calendar for March to help maintain our mental health.

Medical supplies from the United States and Europe because Ukrainian suppliers ran out of gear and medical supplies. For more information go to razomforukraine.org.

United Help Ukraine is providing lifesaving first-aid kits to the front lines. The organization also helps the families of those wounded or killed in war and gives support to displaced people from Crimea and eastern Ukraine. For more information go to unitedhelpukraine.org.

Sunflower of Peace is raising funds for first-aid medical backpacks for paramedics and doctors on the front lines. Each backpack has the ability to save up to 10 lives, according to the organization. For more information go to facebook.com/sunflowerofpeace.

Ukrainian Red Cross Society: Volunteers and staff provide first aid in areas where medical access is limited. Funds will be used to support those in need, blood collection, mobilization of volunteers and resources and emergency activities. For more information go to redcross.org.ua/en.

Help for children: UNICEF is ensuring Ukrainian children have access to safe water, nutrition, health care, education and protection during the invasion. For more information go to www.unicef.org/ukraine/en.

Voices of Children provides psychological and psychosocial support for children caught in the middle of the armed conflict. For more information go to voices.org.ua/en/.

Journalism: The Kyiv Independent, a Ukrainian-English news site, provides up-to-date information of Russia’s invasion. Its fundraising site can be found on GoFundMe.

Cut food waste day 12, Meatless Monday

My series, 31 days of less waste continues:

Clean out the Refrigerator Risotto
Food waste is a waste of energy. Growing shipping and packaging of products takes lots of energy. What are your ways to reduce food waste?
I have always been intimidated by risotto, but after my recent trip to Eastern Europe and many delicious meals, I knew I could become good at making risotto.
This is my vegan, Meatless Monday recipe. Serve with fruit, salad and a veggie patty. Top with whatever nuts you might have, the garnish of cheese will make it vegetarian, not vegan.

Clean out the Refrigerator Risotto
– 1 small onion or leftover onion
– 1 cup rice (I use brown, white rice is easier and faster)
– 2 cups of water or more
– 1 clove garlic (optional)
– vegetables or leftovers to use up (I used collard greens , parsley, celery, and carrots)
– 1 tsp. salt
– garnish with nuts (optional)
– oil for browning onions and veggies. I use olive or coconut.
Process:
Stir fry onion in oil until it starts to brown, add vegetables and continue to stir fry for few minutes, next add rice for about 3 minutes and salt. Throw in any other left overs. Next, I add about 1/2 cup of warm water, stirring every few minutes, and adding more warm water as the water is absorbed. When the rice is soft and creamy, it is ready to serve. About 30-35 minutes.
Easier method:
After the rice and vegetables are slightly browned add the 2 cups water and place in an oven dish in the oven @ 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Banner Creations

Shopping bags made from recycled plasstic — Shopping bags made from recycled plastic

When you shop, do you try to purchase products made from recycled materials? This green business, Banner Creations, in Minneapolis is a hero of mine. They sew and make products from material made from recycled plastic. I purchased my reusable shopping bags (above) from them, and not only did they make a fabulous product, they were creative and efficient to work with.

And…a great article below about Banner Creations:

http://www.startribune.com/persistent-banner-creations-founder-grows-green-bag-and-banner-business/310214801/

scrappyproducts.com

800.326.3524 :: info@bannercreations.com

To create markets for recycled materials:

PURCHASE PRODUCTS MADE FROM RECYCLED MATERIALS WHENEVER POSSIBLE AND CLOSE THE RECYCLING LOOP.

RECYCLE –MANUFACTURE—PURCHASE

America Recycles Day, November 15,

On America Recycles Day, what new commitment can you make to recycle?

The U.S. is the #1 trash-producing country in the world at 1,609 pounds per person per year. This means that 5% of the world’s people generate 40% of the world’s waste.** Yes, we can do better!

So…..What are we waiting for? Let’s get busy and recycle MORE!

Today focus on packaging. Read all packaging and recycle what ever has a recycle triangle.

Recycling saves lots of energy: Products made from recycled material use less energy! Sadly, valuable materials are ending up in our landfills every day.

Tips for increasing your recycling and working for zero waste in your home and business!

– Recycle all plastic bottles, plastic tubs, metal and aluminum cans, glass and newspapers and most paper products. Every community has different rules for this, but please don’t put these in the trash! Find a recycling location near you at http://earth911.com/

– Establish a place to collect recyclables. Keep a place for recycling in every room of your house or business. http://earth911.com/news/2012/12/11/binbisa-new-recycling-bin/ …AND recycle all junk mail

– Pre-cycle: Become aware of the packaging of the products you purchase. Buy the products with the least packaging, and with packaging that is recyclable. This has really improved the past few years.

– Awareness – The more you recycle the more you become aware of new things that you can recycle!

– Plastic Bags: All clean and dry plastic bags should be recycled. If it stretches and is clean, recycle it. Many grocery stores will take bags for recycling. Ask stores to start collecting plastic bags for recycling if you don’t have someone local. Some cities have banned the use of plastic bags!! We all can recycle them. Studies indicate that 100,000 marine animals and 2 million birds die every year from ingesting or being caught up in plastic debris*

–Through recycling and composting you should get your garbage down to one small bag a week!

Recycling is a process to change waste materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution (from incineration) and water pollution (from landfills) by reducing the need for “conventional” waste disposal, and lower greenhouse gas emissions as compared to plastic production. From Wikipedia

Eliminate the idea of waste: http://www.terracycle.com/en-US/

** Recycling Revolution http://www.recycling-revolution.com/recycling-facts.html