Things I learned/Tried/Wondered/Considered today on my road to making a diference

My email inbox is full of newsletters, many of which I never get to until time to sweep the entire batch into the tiny little trash can.  Today I was doing the clean up and I saw an interesting article about happiness in Science News.  It basically outlines a model for considering what it takes to lead a good life.  Apparently psychologists looked at this historically as a dichotomy- people who lived a good life took one of two paths that sometimes overlapped; the first path being one of happiness (joy, comfort and security) and the second being one of meaning (significance, purpose and order).  The article reports the work of a psychologist proposing a third path taken by a substantial minority of us which embraces curiosity, variety and creativity that they term the psychologically rich path to a good life.  It is an interesting look at the choices we make.  Here is the link if you want to explore it:  Perspective-changing experiences, good or bad, can lead to richer lives | Science News

I have a blog format problem .  I wanted to make this particular addition to our blog a column that we could all use each day to register one thing we did today that makes a difference on our road to improving the climate/world/our family.  Not ale to figure out the column issue, I am writing this introduction and hoping each of you who look at the blog will take a minute to consider something you did today that is centered on learning about and considering the world around you, or making a change to improve things.  A giant flood starts with a tiny drop of water, and our contribution to the change we want to see in the world can start with learning, reflection and small acts.  So, try to make this a part of your day, to come here and post a comment below about one thing going on in your inner space or your life.

Love you, Deanne

Susan sent an article she wanted to share with all of us:  Food and Climate Change: The Best & Worst Foods For The Planet (foodrevolution.org)  The article is short and fast and provides a list of the foods most dangerous to the climate and replacement foods that are much better for the planet and for your health.  She also sent an article that Katie Couric posted on her website (if you are too young to know who she is just look at the article anyway).  Can Individuals Really Impact Climate Change? Here's the Truth | KCM (katiecouric.com)  As the title indicates, the article explores personal choices such as food but also fashion and family.  It is a good read.  Thanks for sharing, Susan.

 I came across this article today that I wanted to share:

 

Imagine going to the grocery store, coming home with an abundance of food, then throwing out almost half of it. That is exactly the state of food waste today in the world. Up to 40 percent of our food is wasted.  It rots in fields, goes bad in transport, or passes its “sell by” date before it can be bought. When food does make it to our plates whether at home or in a restaurant, we toss a lot of our leftovers. A family of four throws away $1,800 in food every year, and in the United States, we spend $408 billion worth, or roughly 2 percent of our GDP, growing, processing, transporting, and disposing of food that is never eaten. In the US, it’s like growing food on the whole state of Pennsylvania, then throwing it out. The waste is bad enough on its own, but where does all that wasted food end up? In our landfills where it wreaks havoc on our climate.  Americans alone throw out 35 percent of the food in their fridge. “Best by” and “sell by” dates are related not to food safety, but when the food will taste best, which only confuses customers and leads to massive food waste.  Food waste also happens when prices become too low, farmers leave food to rot in the fields because it is not worth selling even though it is perfectly good. Food waste can also come from food that is ugly, misshapen, or not “perfect,” like the 800 million pounds of sun-bleached watermelons that are thrown out every year.  Grocery chains police their garbage to make sure dumpster divers don’t get their slightly overripe food—which, by the way, is still safe to eat. Restaurants over-order to be sure not to run out of anything and disappoint their customers. Today I want to share three of my top tips for reducing food waste so we can move toward ending this problem.  1. Buy ugly food. Save the planet; feed yourself. Who wants a carrot with two legs, or a weird-looking potato? I do. Seek out the produce that doesn’t look quite right; it’ll still taste just as good. Buy from your local community-supported agriculture program. The food is organic, fresh, and often ugly but tasty. 2. Reduce your own food waste. Use Fresh Paper, a simple piece of paper infused with herbs that keeps your produce fresh three to four times longer, or use produce protected by Apeel, the plant-derived coating that keeps produce fresher longer. Make soups or stews from veggies that are a little wilted. Cook just enough for your family, or make sure to eat or freeze all your leftovers. I like to make WIF meals. Whatever is In the Fridge!  3. Start a compost pile. That way whatever waste or food scraps you produce don’t end up in a landfill. No more produce, grains, or beans in landfills. Composting is a simple use of letting food scraps biodegrade aerobically by exposing them to oxygen, rotating the food scraps, and mixing them with a brown matter (such as sawdust, cardboard, or dry leaves). This turns it into a nutrient-rich organic material that can be used to help build soil in gardens, farms, or your backyard. Wherever I have lived for the past 40 years, I have had a compost pile. Even in New York City, I can drop off food scraps at a farmers’ market in Union Square to be composted.  If you live in a city, consider advocating for a municipal-level composting program. Find out if there is an urban compost drop-off center in your city or town. If you have a backyard, create a compost pile there. If you live in an apartment, get a kitchen composter. You might even consider starting a community or city compost program like the one in Sacramento called BioCycle. Or petition your local government to start one. Studies found that when compost is applied to rangelands, it increased production between 40 and 70 percent, increased soil carbon sequestration (which pulls CO2 from the air into the ground), allowed soil to hold more water, and provided nitrogen and other nutrients to improve soil quality. These kinds of results improve the environment and combat greenhouse gases. Your garbage can help reverse global warming. Anyone can help reduce food waste and fight climate change. You don’t have to spend your savings on an electric car or solar panels (although if you can, go for it). You just need to pay closer attention to what’s left on your plate and in your fridge. If we all do it, we could have a profound effect to help reverse climate change. It’s that simple.  Wishing you health and happiness,  Mark Hyman, MD