Yin & Yang of Green Awareness

This past weekend I went to La Vida Verde, sponsored by Greenheart a child of The Center for Cultural Exchange who really planned the the event. It kicked off with a plethora of volunteers (kudos to Greenheart for reaching so many people) "cleaning up Wicker Park (the actual park not the neighborhood). My initial reaction was, isn't raking up leaves and mulch sort of an antithesis to being green. After all, aren't leaves and twigs part of the environment and also, isn't the decomposition of leaves and twigs a part of the ecological system? Isn't this "cleaning up" part of the way humans try to order nature. Further, as I joined in, I wondered, aren't we taking work away from potential city workers in an economy where jobs are desperately needed? After seeing, the poundage of disposable bags and eatery packaging as well as bowls, I also wondered how green can this be, all this trash?

However....

...(and it's a big "however") The workshops were tremendous and because of CCI/Greenheart's approach, very well attended. The room was full to standing room for every workshop and all those in attendance went away being all the more greener for having attended.

The first was ostensibly how to make veggie chili in a very green way by Chef David Reyes, representing the Green Chicago Restaurant Coop, but the conversations and question turned toward issues of food purchase that is environmentally more sustainable and less intrusive as well as being healthier. Those in attendance went away discovering how much more invasive meat production is to the environment not only in the excessive amount of carbon emissions (generally around 3,000 grams per burger), but also the tremendous amount of water required to put meat on the table (1 pound requires 1800 gallons of water). From there the discussion went to the reduced carbon output of purchasing local vegetables (or growing one's own as many restaurants do) and saving the extra emissions required to transport food from places like California, the major supplier of food to the country. Included in the discussion was the health benefit of not eating genetically modified fruits and vegetables as can only be purchased in most grocery outlets. From there the discussion turned toward cleaning products, since being clean is regulated by health code, that are green. Most people didn't realize that vinegar can suffice for a surface cleaning product and reduce the invasive chemical impact on the environment.

The next workshop conducted by GreenBox Chicago who showed everyone how to grow shallow rooted vegetables (spinach, chard, lettuce, etc...) and even a deep rooted tomato in containers on roofs and and porches. The side benefit was the knowledge folks picked up on reducing carbon emissions by reducing transportation of vegetables, the help given to the carbon cycle (turning carbon into oxygen) by having more green around and the health benefit of reducing one's intake of genetically modified vegetables. Plus, the health benefit to one's pocketbook. People were shown how they can take wine boxes or in the case of tomatoes, old buckets like the kind that kitty litter is sold in and turn them into micro-gardens from seeds or starter plants. Simple: Get a container, ventilate the bottom with a few holes, line with newspaper, add organic soil and plant. From that point on it's the usual ritual of sun, water and love. Attendees learned that composting was not only valuable toward the growth of plants but an aid in reducing disposed garbage to a landfill. Fundamentally, it's putting food that will rot in a place where it can do that and become something of value rather than just tossed away.

Next on the workshop roster came, Ken Dunne of the Resource Center, who in the gentlest manner explained how to stop disposing of our planet, but reusing and recycling the things that most people assume can be disposed of. Beyond the obvious of reusing packaging containers, how many people thing that perishable food can be reused? At the commercial level, The Resource Center aids restaurants in getting food that would be disposed of to those at risk who need it. On the personal level, perishable can be used for composting.

After that it was to the Greenhouse shop for a bit of soiree including music. Here is where the yin and yang of being green become most evident. The store was fundamentally started based on fare trade products. This often means transporting products from other countries, which translates to a higher carbon output, but I was glad to see that many of the products in the store were made locally by women in need of doing something to create income. Being green and helping people who are economically oppressed are equally noble causes and in this complicated world there will inevitably be noble conflict.

So in the effort to help people become aware enough to practice sustainable and long term green practices, a certain amount of waste and carbon footprint had to be generated. I would like to think of this as collateral damage and would hope that what over 100 people came away with in return for this damage, was practices that overall will treat the planet with respect and nurture, less consumption and disregard.