Archive for March, 2010
Peanut Butter and Jelly Day - celebrate it and the earth this Friday
Posted by: | CommentsDid you know that April 2 is Peanut Butter and Jelly day? More specifically did you know that Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches even had their own designated day? I’ve been a huge fan of Peanut Butter since I was old enough to remember and even now few things taste better on a nice slice of toasted bread. I’m not just writing this because I’m hungry but also to point out the significance of PB&J day and the fact that its a wonderfully eco-friendly lunch, dinner, snack or even breakfast if you are so inclined.
With jelly or without?
I thought I’d start with some history of the sandwich (honestly) and then look at the eco-benefits every time you decide that this most simple of pleasures is chosen in place of a Hamburger or perhaps a chicken sandwich. First of all though I’ve got a few confessions to make. I’ve never had peanut butter with jelly, growing up in England jelly is called jam and we use it or fruit preserves for toast and scones - I wasn’t even aware of the concept of adding it to peanut butter until I first visited the States. Secondly, my Mum being very Irish, made my PB sandwiches with butter and then Peanut Butter - don’t knock it til you’ve tried it. Nevertheless the elimination of jelly doesn’t make this sandwich less of an eco-friendly proposition. (though you should exclude the butter)
The potential for a PB & J sandwich existed as early as the 1920’s when Skippy introduced the jarred wonder on a national scale, it seems that World War II led to the first massive acceptance of the sandwich as GIs were given the protein rich sandwiches as part of their rations. By the time the war ended the sandwich was in most households that featured a children and has been ever since. I’ve also learned that there are many variations on the staple sandwich, with crusts or without, what type of jelly, how about with bananas? While I prefer a peanut butter sandwich to be toasted I can’t deny that few foods make me more rapidly remember being a kid than that taste of warm PB. So, let me leap on over to what makes a Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwich not only tasty but also eco-friendly:
Greenhouse Gas Emissions: 2.5 Pounds
Plant based sandwiches make a huge impact, the more frequently you choose to skip meat the better impact you can make. Each time you have a plant-based lunch such as a PB&J your carbon footprint is reduced by the equivalent of 2.5 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions when compared with a typical animal-based lunch like a hamburger, a tuna sandwich, grilled cheese, or chicken nuggets. Different meals have different impacts, dinner for example will save 2.8 pounds and breakfast 2.0 pounds of emissions. Its not a trivial amount 2.5 pounds of emissions at lunch equate to 40% of the greenhouse gas emissions you’d save driving around for the day in a hybrid instead of a standard vehicle. The positive impact is even better if you choose a PB&J versus a red-meat lunch like a ham sandwich or a hamburger, you reduce your carbon footprint by up to 3.5 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions.
Conserve Water: 133 Gallons
You’ll be amazed at the water conservation too, would you believe about 133 gallons of water conserved at lunch versus the average lunch as set out above? If you can consider that just five PB&Js or other plant-based lunches per month would save more water than switching to a low-flow showerhead, you’ll be unscrewing the lid of your favourite brand more often.
The national PB&J Campaign has these and other earth friendly tips. So this Friday celebrate the classic sandwich (and on other days choose similar plant based lunches) in recognition of its own special day. Do you have a favourite or secret type of PB sandwich? Please share it on the blog.
Cruze-Eco…..Chevrolet seeks a foothold in the fuel efficient market
Posted by: | CommentsI’m always intrigued to what the major global automakers are up to and this week its worth casting our eyes in the direction of Chevrolet. The US auto giant is introducing a vehicle that will get lots of attention for its fuel efficiency and they surely hope for others reasons in addition. First though lets look at the car’s efficiency - The Chevrolet Cruze Eco is supposed to better 40mpg or 6L/100km which puts it in a unique competition 
group in terms of fuel consumption, most remarkably this is being accomplished in a non hybrid vehicle. The Cruze which should be available towards the end of the year, is the only car breaking that mileage plateau that is neither a hybrid or a standard diesel. So how was this accomplished?
Motoring purists will be excited to learn that the Cruze Eco doesn’t sacrifice power in its quest for efficiency. The results have been achieved by using more affordable internal combustion technology—such as turbocharging—to deliver its ability to bypass far more gas stations per refill. Competition in the efficiency stakes is predicted to be fought primarily between hybrid vehicles (where increased demand is beginning to move prices downward) and the smaller vehicles designed to the highest levels of efficiency, cars that will incorporate improved aerodynamics, lighter materials, low-resistance tires and turbocharging. Can Chevrolet take a large stake in this market that is anticipated to grow rapidly in the years ahead? Much will depend on the official mileage and pricing, neither of which have been revealed to date. I’m thrilled to see fuel conservation become a hot topic for car buyers, as in Europe the day will soon arrive when miles per gallon is one of the first selling points (and buyers questions) that needs to be addressed.
As with most things strong competition will lead to a market which benefits the car buyer, new technologies combining with the newest design means concept cars are reaching production lines in less than half the time traditionally associated with an industry that has always been resistant to rapid change, particularly in the US. Until now excellent fuel consumption rates usually came attached with a price tag that far outweighed vehicles that were comparable in all other criteria. That however seems to be changing, according to Jim Campbell US VP of Chevrolet:
“The Cruze Eco delivers hybrid-like efficiency without the price tag”
If performance is what you are looking for than these numbers aren’t too shabby for what is essentially a 4 door sedan designed to compete on the Corolla/Civic market based on the overall data of the vehicle. The engine is driven by an all new turbocharged 1.4 liter Ecotec four-cylinder. Test results has shown a rating of 138 horsepower coupled with 148 pound-feet of torque. People look so anxious when you combine fuel 
efficient vehicle with acceleration in the same sentence, but again the numbers don’t do the Cruze any harm as 10.0 seconds from 0-60mph will attest. By way of comparison the Toyota Corolla’s 1.8 engine delivers 132 horsepower and reaches the same speed in 10.1 seconds.
Chevy had to do some clever design modification to get the extra mileage from this vehicle, at higher speeds drag is reduced by the shutters in the lower grille becoming closed. Aerodynamics played a huge part in the vehicles design as the front air dam and panels under the body both contribute to less air resistance equating to better mileage. It will be interesting to see if the car can be priced to compete, as success for vehicles of this type will be required in the years ahead for an American auto industry that has weathered some terrible PR concerning the environment. The ability to manufacture vehicles that provide a cost effective and reliable alternative to the import market will be a critical component in both strengthening the green credentials of the industry but also returning sales to this continent.
We’d love to know how satisfied you are with your hybrid car or indeed how important a part fuel efficiency will play when you choose your next model. The goal of significant positive changes being set out by the current administration calls for a 5% improvement in overall fuel efficiency each year between 2012 and 2016 is both achievable and very necessary in my opinion. The market will dictate that happening and I hope than in 5 years time a vehicle such as the Cruze Eco will not be considered a novelty but a necessity by many. We’ll wait and see how it is received when it hits dealers this Autumn.
Meatless Monday with Stuffed Pasta Shells
Posted by: | CommentsHappy Meatless Monday! As you may or may not know, Planet Forward supports the Meatless Monday campaign – a non-profit initiative in association with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. It’s part of an eco-friendly worldwide movement to reduce consumption of animal products in favour of more plant-based meals to fight global warming and improve our personal health. This week we bring an Italian vegetarian recipe for you to try.
Stuffed shells may seem difficult to make but they can be prepared for baking in 20 minutes. If you can’t find the jumbo shells at your grocery story, cannelloni or manicotti noodles will work as well although shells are preferred. Serve with a side salad for a well-rounded meal.
Ingredients
- 1 pkg. (300 g) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained
- 1 container (500 g) ricotta cheese (low-fat can be used)
- 1 cup Part Skim Mozzarella Shredded Cheese, divided in half
- 1/2 Parmesan cheese (divided in half)
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
- Salt/pepper to taste
- 20 jumbo pasta shells (or cannelloni/manicotti pasta) cooked, drained and cooled
- 3-4 cups tomato pasta sauce
Instructions:
What will you be driving in 2030?
Posted by: | CommentsAs a young boy a pair of cartoons really resonated with me but for very different reasons, both were funny and developed by the same team. While one looked back at a ‘modern stone age family’ the other made my young mind wonder what the future might look like. The cartoons were of 
course The Flintstones and The Jetsons. You have to remember that when The Jetsons was created it was 1962/3 and the future looked to be a long way off. To get a better idea of 1962 the Jetsons and The Flintsones used to be primetime television…can you imagine? Though with the success of The Simpsons I guess we’ve come full circle with cartoons being for everyone.
By the time I was hooked on The Jetsons it was more than a decade later but the vision of a future with robot maids, flying cars and houses floating in space all seemed pretty appealing and even possible to this writer when he was young. In the mid 1970’s we’d been going to the moon, creating supersonic passenger planes and had remote control toys after all so surely flying cars couldn’t be far behind. Thirty five years later however we still drive on rubber tyres using gasoline engines and sit in traffic instead of zipping around in the sky. We’re still drilling oil from the ground and using propeller planes to fly scheduled routes even if the flight is 85% empty. Most disconcerting is although high speed electric rail services are completely viable and proven, this form of transport and freight movement is actually no faster than it was in North America (for the most part) than in the 1950’s. Dashed hopes to some extent but it has taken a growing awareness of environmental matters to make us look to the future again rather than for simple reason that our technology should be tested to its furthest reaches. If only mankind had spent as much time on fuel efficiency and transportation advances in the last twenty years as we have on cell phones I’d already have my flying car by now.
So it was that I assumed cars were never going to change that significantly and resemble those Jetsons cars until I saw the video below. GM are working on what they have termed the EN-V, a small bubble shaped electric vehicle designed specifically for city living. If it seems ironic that this vision of the future comes from General Motors who have brought us the famed Hummer, perhaps the most non-green series of vehicles of the last 30 years then you’d share my sentiments. Amazing how ideas change when faced with bankruptcy.
The EN-V is wise to the fact that in urban areas the average speed of travel keeps dropping each decade due to congestion and this vehicle will 
only offer a proposed top speed for 24mph, but seeing as city traffic net average speed (currently 12mph) is expected to keep reducing perhaps the idea is well founded. The vehicle is the model of eco-friendly and efficient and safety is proposed as built in as the cars will be programmed to avoid one another. Its not a car you will be test driving anytime soon however, the EN-V is anticipated to be the dominant design for urban cars twenty years from now. I’m counting on the future, all will be revealed.