Agro Food Giant Cargill Goes Fair Trade?

Cargill pays premium millions to cocoa farmers as sustainable sourcing grows It's official. The cows have come home. Cargill, one of the largest producers and marketers of food and agricultural products has announced an initiative to promote sustainable production of cocoa. It is working with Rainforest Alliance and UTZ certified to support biodiversity and sustainable living practices in the cocoa business. The move is a reflection of the consumers desire to buy from companies that operate in a socially responsible manner. So keep voting with your wallet....it's working.

Great Green Entry Level Opportunities in the Bay Area

Intern, Greenstart There are several fun and stimulating internship opportunities open in San Francisco, California for the Cleantech start-up venture development firm, Greenstart. Internships are available for those with operational, marketing and writing skills. I love the fun tone of the job descriptions!

Lego Greens Up - A Post From My Son

I am reposting this as you may not have realized it was contributed by my son, Michael, who will be entering DePaul University (one of the greenest colleges in the U.S.) this fall:

As soon as I could hold my own head up and get to moving my baby fat riddled arms I’ve been stacking blocks of some sort. And I can definitively inform that the title for best building bricks around belong to LEGO. These colorful cubes can be attributed to some of the happiest moments of my childhood. Little did I know that when ripping apart the cardboard packaging, I was contributing to the deforestation of the Indonesian Rainforest. Up until recent events Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) had been LEGO’s packaging supplier. Thanks to recent action by Greenpeace kids can assemble their rocket ships and fantasy lands with a clean conscience with LEGO suspending relations with APP as well as declaring that their new products will be made with recycled materials and all paper products will. Mattel has even succumbed to pressure, from Greenpeace and LEGO’s newest statement, announcing that they too will cut their ties with APP. They even went so far as to have a banner with Ken telling Barbie “It’s over, I don’t date girls that are into deforestation.” Hopefully these recent policy changes are from an ideological shift in term of environmentally friendly practices and not just the clever PR responses to a gotcha moment by Greenpeace. As with any global conflict, solutions tend to not be so black and white. In APP’s response to the incident basically highlighted the fact that FSC certification is only applicable towards areas converted from forests after 1994, which automatically excludes a vast majority of plantations in the developing world and favours the North American and European manufacturers who have dominated the industry for 100 years. Though I am sure there is probably a reason for this rule it does raise a question of exclusionary practices in the green movement. Let’s hope that this movement continues as one of global inclusion and unity, uplifting the environment as much as the people inhabiting it.  

Green Law Job: Staff Attorney, Ohio Environmental Council

Staff Attorney, Ohio Environmental Council

Wanted: Garden Manager, Washington Youth Garden

Garden Manager, Washington Youth Garden

Regional Environmental Intern, U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance

Regional Environmental Intern, U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance

Cool Green Job: Brooklyn Botanic Garden

School Workshop Coordinator/Supervising Instructor, Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Gardens and Golf

Another interesting garden bed at Lake Forest Golf Course in Hudson, Ohio.
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Gardens and Golf

I had the great pleasure of spending time with a good friend and some new associates on the golf course yesterday, in support of a fundraiser for Our Lady of the Wayside. While I have made the rounds on a decent number of courses in the area, this one (Lake Forest), was notable due to the bounty of beautiful gardens present on the grounds - and the black squirrels. I don't know if one can judge the values of a club by its grounds, but I give high marks to the management and groundskeeper for the addition of the lush and bright gardens. They may even use more organic landscape practices here. I can dream right?
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Concealed Weapons Against the Environment - NYTimes.com

Legislation pending to gut environmental safeguards. What you need to know.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/31/opinion/sunday/concealed-weapons-against-the-environment.html?_r=1

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Mentoring and Microloans for Food and Beverage Based Businesses

Support - Samuel Adams® Brewing The American Dream Samuel Adams is offering loans up to $25,000 and mentoring support for business owners in the food, beverage and hospitality business. Register for the August seminar via the link to learn more.

Regional Environmental Intern, U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance

Regional Environmental Intern, U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance

Heirloom Tomato Pie - Teen Approved

Heirloom Tomato Pie on the Food Network This is the recipe for the tomato pie I featured yesterday that my son liked. I used a store bought Marie Calendar crust to save on time. It makes for great leftovers for breakfast too! You can veganize it by using Daiya brand non-dairy cheeses.

Teen Approved Vegetarian Food

This is a slice of the Heirloom Tomato Pie that I made this morning. Got the recipe from the Food Network magazine (July issue). You can veganize it by using Daiya brand vegan cheese. Gave it to my son topped with olive oil and a slice of toasted sourdough bread without telling him what it was and he shouted from upstairs, "This is good, Mom!". Nuf said my friends.....
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Study examines household chemical link to disease in children

Study examines household chemical link to disease - ABC Ballarat - Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Danone leads yogurt packaging towards bioplastics

Danone leads yoghurt packaging towards bioplastics The food packaging industry, a huge source of post consumer waste, has been very engaged recently in seeking eco-friendly and sustainable plastic packaging alternatives. Biobased products such as sugar cane are being used as substitutes, manufacturing costs are somewhat higher, but prices are expected to fall as the technology improves and consumer demand increases. Packagers and producers are largely motivated to make these changes due to your demands for these types of environmentally friendly products.

First Supermarket to Feature Local, Organic, Package-Free Shopping to Open in Austin, TX

First Supermarket to Feature Local, Organic, Package-Free Shopping to Open in Austin, TX