Ideal Bite

I watch kind of a lot of Al Gore's news-y TV station, Current. Recently the station itself has made news.

Two of its journalists, Euna Lee and Laura Ling (sister of Lisa Ling - the Asian chick formerly of The View who now does stuff for Oprah), are being detained for supposedly (and the evidence is sketchy at best) crossing from China into North Korea. They're due to stand trial soon, and if convicted they could face 10 years of forced labor in a country mostly known for its crazy, iPod-starved leader, Kim Jong-il. Sucks.

But! You can still view and forward some of Laura Ling's environmental reports on Current, learn something, and possibly forward them just to spread awareness

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Yup. 36 bucks. That is what I spent on bridal mags a couple weeks ago. Oof.

% of post-consumer recycled content in the paper in those mags?

Zero.

If I keep this up, I’m going to eco-hell. Thus, I have decided, from here on out, to get my whole bridal mag fix electronically, at The Knot. Or, check out a whole host of green online wedding planning links at: http://www.idealbite.com/guides/wedding/missing-links-found. (Shameless, shameless self-promotion…)

-Heather… off to figure out which offsetter to use to carbon offset the wedding…

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We at Ideal Bite (and of course you Biters) love us some Earth-saving, but we can't be so serious all the time (um, obvs). It's definitely OK in our book to laugh at the intensity of eco-ness, which I totally did on Friday night during Larry Miller's (10 Things I Hate About You, Best in Show) stand-up set, opening for Jerry Seinfeld (who was gold, BTW) at the Paramount Theatre.

Larry on…

Preserving the planet: "If saving the Earth means no more big cars, television, and liquor, then the Earth has got to go. People are always like, 'What about the children?' I say we spoil our children too much as it is. Read the full post... 

a. In the back yard
b. On the porch
c. At a community garden

All of the above, says Oak Park's Green Home Experts, which is hosting a free tête-à-tête this week about growing a person-and-planet-healthy garden. Peeps from Catalina’s Garden and Dig Right In Landscaping'll share the dirt on water conservation, soil amendment, and plant selection, plus tips on growing veggies and staying pesticide-free. You can also catch up on plans for the community garden in development in Forest Park. Just RSVP and make your way over to Oak Park on Thursday from 7-9 pm.

-City Editor Read the full post... 

A little over a week ago, the EPA made big news by declaring carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases to be a danger to human health.

This potentially means the government's actually gonna do something major about CO2 pollution. Federal regulation, here we come.

The ruling gives the public 60 days to speak up in support of the EPA's decision. Wanna say thanks? Here's the contact info (c/o Grist):

Email: GHG-Endangerment-Docket@epa.gov

Fax: 202.566.1741

Physical mail:
Environmental Protection Agency
EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC)
Mailcode 6102T
Attention Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2009-0171
1200 Read the full post... 

When you start a green business – even if you never use that business to be preachy or pedantic – people start to act a little strange around you. They look shifty-eyed and apologize if they order a steak while you are out to dinner. They sheepishly gesture to the MiracleGro stashed in the corner of their abundant gardens. They try not to make eye contact as they grab the disposable diaper from their baby bag. And as I sit there drinking my glass of wine from halfway around the world, sneaking another slice of proscuitto (“but hey - the persimmon is totally local!”), I wonder why they think I’m any better than they are, any less prone to the difficulty of getting the results you want while trying to tread more lightly on the earth.

You also see this strange mood overtake everyone who works in a service capacity – from Read the full post... 

So, I went to SOYJOY's Battle of the Chefs: Eco-Cuisine - in association with nonprof Gen Art at Boulevard3 - on Earth Day night (pics here). Chef Andrew Kirschner of Wilshire Restaurant won the cooking competition (think watching Top Chef, but live). The chefs got five minutes to whip up a bevvy, 15 minutes for a savory dish, and 15 minutes for a dessert using eco-licious ingredients, namely soy. Recipes were tasted and judged by a panel of s'lebs including actress Julianne Moore and local chef Akasha Richmond.

The dishes passed out to us common folk went fast, but I Read the full post... 

A few days old, but since you never can get enough environmental comedy, here's The Onion's Simple Tips for a Greener House ("Replace carbon monoxide detectors with canary") with a side of How Are Corporations Going Green? ("Wal-Mart cashiers now make the 'boop' sound with their mouths when scanning items, saving the company 28 watts of energy per year").

Also, through the end of the month, if you spend $30 at The Onion's online store, they'll throw in a reusable water bottle that says, "My Other Water Bottle Is 50,000 Styrofoam Cups."

Ahh, laughing. You are great.

-Senior Editor Read the full post...