When you think of reducing your dependence on oil, you usually tend to think of using your car less or flying only when it’s absolutely necessary. However, oil is a much bigger part of our lives than most of us would realize.
It’s in a lot of the products that we use day-to-day such as toothpastes, cosmetics and even in the plastic products we use such as credit cards and soft contact lenses.
Planet Green wants to get people to watch the documentary Recipes for Disaster and challenges people to depend less & less on oil and offer up ways for individuals to reduce their use of oil and oil based products.
Method for detox: cut down, and find alternatives
1. Start by reducing your consumption levels: even when you find totally sustainable brands, the products still have to get to you by road, plane, or sea. When it comes to the environment, less is always more.2. Find companies that avoid the use of petroleum-based ingredients.
3. Always use nondisposable versions of products you sometimes find more convenient when disposable.
To read the rest of the article on the Planet Green website, please click on the link below.
As I have said time and time again in this blog, it’s making little steps that have a big impact on our ability to affect change in the world, particularly when it comes to matters of the environment.
I know I’m going to try to do more and more of this to detox the oil in my life and I hope that those of you reading out there can do your part as well.
Restaurant quality flatbread is easier than you think. Planet Green offers up a simple four-step recipe for flatbread that you can make in the comfort of your own home.
You can use an oven (400 degrees) to cook the bread. It’s 40 degrees outside and no longer a good time for grilling in South Carolina.
Homemade Flatbread
1 ¼ cup sifted flour
½ cup durum flour bran
1 tsp salt
Sage, chives or any herbs
½ cup warm water
To read the rest of the article on Planet Green, please click on the link below.
Homemade Restaurant Quality Flatbread in 4 Steps
You can add this bread to any meal or have it on its own as a snack. Hope you enjoy the deliciousness and also keep in mind that you won’t have to head out to a restaurant to get this delicious bread.
Well the headline might not be entirely true, but Copenhagen is trying somethings rather bold.
Painted-on bicycle parking, similar to a parking lot for cars … but for bikes. It’s an odd idea that most would assume to attract thieves. However, it’s an idea that Copenhagen is introducing as part of its bike-friendly infrastructure.
While the use of painted-on bike parking is not unheard of (the article cites that the cities of Amsterdam and Osaka have been using painted-on bike parking), it’s still a relatively new concept on one that seems like it would only work in certain cities.
…we learn that the city’s Bicycle Office is now testing “rack-less bike parkings”. It seems like it might work in Copenhagen, but would it work anywhere else?…
I suppose you need to reach a pretty high density of bikes before bike thieves just aren’t attracted by bikes anymore (or is it a cultural thing?). Or maybe it’s just that the number of bike thieves doesn’t go up with the number of bikes, so that there’s about as many bikes stolen, but the chances of having your bike stolen are very low (safety in numbers)
To read the rest of the article on Tree Hugger, please click on the link below.
No Bike Thieves in Copenhagen, it Seems. They’re Testing Painted-On Bike Parkings!
Painted-on bike parking would be neat to see in a North American city, but I suppose that the amount of cyclists in many cities across North America does not warrant such infrastructure.
Theft of bicycles is still a major worry, for cyclists, particularly in receny years here in Toronto with the notorious Igor Kenk, who is currently awaiting trial on the bike theft charges put agains him.
Hopefully we can see the day when painted-on bike parking makes its way to North America.
A new company has entered into the folding bicycle market. The company is called Melon and has released its first bicycle offering.
The bicycle is called the Slice and is a foldable bike with 20″ wheels. Here are some of the details of the bike from the Melon website:
The slice is made from lightweight 7005 aluminum and is easy to put in and out of the trunk, carry into the office or classroom, or store in the apartment closet. The seat is comfortable but firm, allowing you to stay in the saddle as long as you like. The rear mounted kickstand is out of the way but convenient for those moments when you actually have to stop riding. High quality rims and high-powered V-brakes round out the design.
We designed the slice as the 20″ wheel, easily transported alternative to conventional comfort, hybrid, fitness, and commuting bikes. An upright riding position makes for an enjoyable day in the saddle. All this said, we never get enough of seeing a person’s face light up the first time that they GO2O. If you are ready for some serious fun, the slice folding bike is the one for you.
It’s really an interesting bike and reminds me a lot of Avi my first folding bike. Both in the look, features, and the way it folds.
With a large front chain ring, Melon believe you’ll find that the Slice’s eight gears, combined with an intuitive SRAM MRX Pro grip shifter, will get wherever you want to go.
Folding occurs in the frame’s main tube (with a quick release lever), as well as the handlebar stem and pedals.
To read the rest of the Tree Hugger article, please click on the link below.
Use Your Melon: Melon’s Slice Folding Bike That Is
I don’t know if the bike is yet available in Canada, seeing as how it was just recently released, but if I see it in any bike shops I pass by i’ll be sure to post about it. And if you happene to get to that before me, please leave a comment and let anyone reading this know where in Canada (specifically Toronto) the Slice can be found.
Being a vegetarian, I’ve come to love all sorts of different vegetables and different types of cuisine. A far cry from the young boy who would eat nothing but deep fried chicken nuggets and Vienna sausages (the little sausages in the can).
Vegetables weren’t exactly my most favourite thing to eat growing up, but I have learned (through searching on the Internet and reading various cookbooks) of new and interesting ways of preparing vegetables to be more appealing for myself and possibly others.
I came across this interesting recipe for cauliflower on Planet Green a couple of days ago.
I got this idea for a cauliflower “steak” from Bon Appetit, but honestly, the recipe looked a little fussy. They suggested cutting a steak-like section from the cauliflower, then cooking the rest in milk and pureeing, then baking it, which seemed altogether too much like work.
To read the rest of the article on Planet Green, please click on the link below.
Fall in Love with Cauliflower All Over Again: Caramelized, Nutty Steaks
Or if you would prefer to check out the original recipe that inspired this creation, please click on the link below.
Cauliflower Steaks with Cauliflower Puree
What I might do (once I’m able to get my hands on a head of cauliflower) is cut them into steaks, fry them up and pour a nice vegetarian mushroom gravy over them.
Now excuse, me while I head out to do some groery shopping :)
