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Vegetarian Tacos
I think it’s safe to say everyone loves a good taco. But what if you’re trying to cut back on meat and you’re craving Mexican food? This happened to me the other day, so I came up with a great recipe to satisfy that craving. Here’s what you’ll need: Morning Star Chipotle Black Bean Crumbles 1 red onion, diced Shredded lettuce Flour tortillas Cheese Sour Cream So all you need to do is prepare the Morning Star crumbles according to the directions on the back of the package. While that’s cooking, chop up your onion and add it to your crumbles once they are almost cooked through. Then, you just…
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Don’t Get Discouraged
As my last semester of college is quickly coming to an end, I have been more stressed with schoolwork than ever. As a result, I have kind of been slacking in the sustainability department. I’ve been eating more meat/dairy lately, letting food in my fridge go bad, driving to class instead of walking, etc. While I feel pretty guilty about this, I am not allowing myself to become discouraged in the process of living more sustainably. Sometimes, life gets pretty crazy and we are bound to make mistakes and lose track of our goals. However, it is important to remind yourself that you are still making changes and you are…
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Jars!
This is something I have only begun to do recently, but I wish I had sooner because it is so convenient. If you are trying to be conscious of limiting your spending on plastic-packaged items, you’ll probably have a lot more glass jars laying around. I have learned that saving these jars for future uses is a satisfying way to reduce your waste output! For example, I am constantly buying salsa in glass jars. Instead of throwing them all in the recycling bin, I have begun to wash them out and keep them for future food storage. Like if I’m going to the beach or the pool this summer and I…
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The History of Earth Day
Welcome to my new category of posts, Throwback Thursdays! Here I will be looking back on notable moments in the history of environmentalism. With Earth Day approaching, I thought I would discuss how this wonderful day came to be. Earth Day, April 22nd, is the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. At the time, Americans were burning through leaded gas like it was their job. Large corporations expelled smoke and sludge without any consideration of the environmental consequences. In fact, the word “environment” was hardly seen or talked about anywhere. The idea for Earth Day came to be when founder Gaylord Nelson, a senator from…
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A Tree-Free Home
As Earth day approaches, it is important to keep our tree friends in mind, for obvious reasons. It is no secret that billions of trees are chopped down per year (about 15.3 billion to be exact) for a variety of our everyday household items. Trees provide us with clean air and reduce the amount of Co2 in the atmosphere, so it is important that we greatly reduce deforestation rates before it is too late. Here are some simple changes you can make for a more tree-free home: Replace paper towels with a set of cloth towels for cleaning. Old T-shirts also make for great towels! Simply wash and re-use. Replace paper…
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Bee Kind
Spring has officially sprung, which means you can officially start gardening again! However, it is extremely important that you make sure the plants in your garden are safe to our pollinator friends. Check the labels before purchasing any flowers or plants and do NOT purchase them if it says they have been treated with Neonicotinoids. This class of pesticide is highly toxic to bees. In fact, the three main neonicotinoids (clothianidin, imidacloprid, and thiamethoxam) were banned in Europe for all outdoor uses. Because neonicotinoids are systemic chemicals that are absorbed into the plant, these pesticides can be present in the pollen and the nectar that the bees feed on. The long-lasting…
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You Need To Try Tempeh
My sister, a vegetarian for over four years now, has been one of my biggest inspirations for wanting to give up eating meat. One recent evening while I was staying at her home, she offered to make one of her favorite dishes: smoked tempeh sandwiches. My response? “What the heck is tempeh?” It turns out tempeh is a fermented soy product. The difference between tempeh and tofu is that tempeh is made from whole soybeans, while tofu is not. The soybeans are compressed into a “cake,” offering a chewy and hearty texture. Plus, it is packed with plant-based protein! The sandwiches turned out delicious. The tempeh was marinated in barbecue…
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Eat Local!
Buying local food is a growing movement that has many environmental benefits. One of the most important benefits of buying local food is that it reduces your food miles. When you buy produce or meat from a grocery store, it is more than likely that these products have traveled over 1000 miles to get to you. That’s a lot of CO2 missions. Luckily, buying local greatly diminishes this footprint. Upon doing research for one of my classes, I stumbled upon a website called EatWild. Basically, it is a huge database for you to find locally grown produce and meats in your area. It gives you lists of farms including their…
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The Problem With Palm Oil
Palm oil. Ever heard of it? It’s found in about half of packaged products sold in US grocery stores, lurking in your favorite snack foods and many other household items such as laundry detergent, toothpaste, makeup, and shampoo. Palm oil has become the most widely used vegetable oil on Earth because of how well it grows in tropical communities and the minimal care it requires unlike other vegetable oils. However, this rapidly growing demand for palm oil comes at a high price. The production of palm oil is one of the leading causes for the destruction of rainforests. A majority of world palm oil supply comes from Malaysia and Indonesia…
