iHCPL Wellness #41 - part one

Activity 1

I used the carbon footprint calculator to discover what our family carbon footprint is. I used two different ones, and with the second it was easier to account for the recycling we do. There is no curbside recycling, but we take our newspapers, cans, and plastic to recycle centers. We set our thermostat at 76 in the summer and 68 in the winter, and leave it alone. I only commute 3.5 miles to work and my husband is unemployed, so we are not putting a lot of miles on our cars. I drive a Ford Explorer and my husband drives a Honda Accord. We try and group our errands.

Eating Green:
When looking at the impact of your diet, you should consider the pesticides, acres, and fertilizer needed to raise feed for animals, as well as the manure created by said animals. See this eating green calculator GreenCalculator. There is an entry for Six Arguements for a Greener Diet (book), taking action, and antibiotic resistance caused by giving too many of them to animals.
Learn how to shop smart and shop green at Foodnews.org.

Activity #2
I have visited two local farmer's markets. There is a small one in Spring on Stuebner-Airline where I have often bought tomatoes in the summer. Earlier this summer I visited a large farmer's market on Airline in Houston. There were many vendors there with a great variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. Nothing tastes like a garden tomato. I hate to buy the ones in the supermarkets, they are hard and have no flavor.

It would be interesting to visit the Midtown Farmer's Market. "The Midtown Farmers Market takes place every Saturday morning (rain or shine) from 8am - 12 noon at Monica Pope's acclaimed restaurant, t'afia - right in the heart of Houston. As a state-certified Farmer's Market, the MFM features locally-grown produce, small-batch & handcrafted prepared foods, artisan breads, locally-roasted coffee, breakfast and a real sense of community. Vendors are both outside and inside the restaurant. "

or

Bayou City Farmer's Market at Richmond and Eastside.
The Bayou City Farmers Market includes local small-scale produce growers as well as family farms producing grass-fed meats, local honey, cage-free eggs and much more. A complete listing of our vendors is available for you to view. Products are seasonal, and the best way to find out what's available this week is to become a subscriber to the market e-newsletter. Regular weekly events include live music and cooking demonstrations using seasonal produce. We also host special events such as our annual Tomato Festival in the summer and Citrus Festival in the winter.