Sometimes it's the little things to reduce my carbon footprint which make me feel competent and full of hope. Yesterday I took my cloth shopping bag and two clean, empty jars to the local natural foods store. We needed more peanut butter and almond butter for sandwiches. The Food Mill, in business since 1933, grinds its own nut butters (including tahini) and will give a discount if you bring your own container. It's not always easy for me to locate a clean peanut butter jar and lid when I'm going to the store - but yesterday I had that organized.
Carbon emissions saved for the day:
Points for reusing two glass jars. Two less into the waste stream, plus the energy saved in not creating two new jars.
Points for carrying a cloth shopping bag. No plastic or paper bag needed.
And points for walking, not driving.
Maybe Al Gore can give me a little coupon to stick on my refrigerator? You know, with pounds of carbon saved from the atmosphere.
Oh yes, and I saved a bit of money on food and a bit more on gasoline, plus I exercised; I bought house-made, fresh-baked whole grain cookies for the children - not industrial food; and the groceries I brought home were all unprocessed or minimally processed, with no additives or preservatives. This proves Ernest Callenbach's theorem that things that are good for the environment usually also save you money and benefit your health.
Food Mill sells far too much processed, high-priced organic food (look around on their product site for examples), but they also carry 800 bulk items, from teas to flours to legumes and whole grains. Probably they make their money on the processed, glitzy stuff. The bulk food prices are reasonable and they do discount many foods requiring a jar, if you bring your own container. (for example, honey or maple syrup). Recently they upgraded and expanded their produce department to carry organic, local fruits and vegetables.
Living within walking distance (.7 mile/1.12 KM, a round trip of 1.5 miles/2.25 KM) of such a store makes it easier to practice what I preach about eating whole, organic, minimally processed foods.
P.S. I did feel pretty terrible this week, what with a virus that wiped me out, and cumulative side effects from chemo. My doctor loves hearing that I took a walk like this. I am made of tough stuff, and I'm on the mend.
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