Search Results for: blog america the wasteful

America the Wasteful

Not long ago, I blogged about Freegans and how they get their food from garbage cans. While some may find that a bit repulsive, let me share some facts with you. I read in an NPR article today about a new report by the National Resources Defense Council titled “Wasted: How America Is Losing Up to 40 Percent of Its Food from Farm to Fork to Landfill.” Think the titles shocking? Then you should hear some of what’s in it. Stat like 40 percent of the food in the United States goes uneaten. And, this is a time when the … Continue reading →

‘Blessings’ Founder Faces Prison

As recent events grimly reminded us, good and evil are often intertwined and that can also be true of social consciousness. I was sad to read recently that Stan Curtis, the man who founded “Blessings in a Backpack” is facing counts of tax fraud and money laundering. “Blessing in a Backpack” is an incredible program that was started by Curtis, a stockbroker who grew up orphaned.  Each week, the program sends backpacks filled with food items such as peanut butter, tuna, crackers, and cereal home with school children who live in food insecure households.  The food is donated by local companies … Continue reading →

A Taste of Hunger

It sounds ironic, doesn’t it? A Taste of Hunger? But, that is the name of a recent event held in Memphis. It was sponsored by Balmoral Presbyterian and the Memphis Jewish Federation Anti-Poverty Task Force to show the hunger in the surrounding area. The event invited many community leaders to the event to experience the local food disparity for themselves. A few weeks ago, our pastor, who attended the event, told us that Memphis is one of the hungriest cities in the nation. The gallop poll showed that 26 percent of the people in Memphis said that they couldn’t buy … Continue reading →

Teens Turning Green

Sometimes I think all the young people of today think about is cell phones, video games, and iPods, then I read about an organization like Teens Turning Green and I have renewed hope for the future. Teens Turning Green is a student-run organization that helps other teens go green. That is, not just become more aware of environmental issues, but also green up their own lives by living a healthier lifestyle. Teens Turning Green began in 2005 when Judi Shils and her then 13-year-old daughter Erin Schrode got together with 80 other teens concerned about how chemicals could be harming … Continue reading →

What is a Freegan?

I know what a vegetarian is and I know what a vegan is. I’ve heard of the minimalistic movement and even subscribe to the 100 Things Challenge on Facebook (not that it does me much good). But, until I was watching the 10th season of “Project Runaway” the other day, I had never heard of a freegan. Contestant Fabio Costa (who is originally from Brazil, but now lives in Brooklyn, New York) told another designer that he was a freegan. He explained to that designer that he gets his meals from dumpsters, to which everyone in the room went “Ew!” … Continue reading →

Conserving Water

Why should we conserve water? One of the main reasons is so we don’t run out. We don’t want our intake to exceed the ecosystems output. Also, facilities that provide water – pumping stations, delivery companies, and wastewater treatment – all consume a lot of energy to do what they do. In California, 15 percent of their electricity is used for water management. Finally, conserving water helps conserve the habitat of local wildlife. So you may be thinking “Sounds great – how do we conserve water?” The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has come up with a web page all about … Continue reading →

Committing to Decluttering

The other day, I blogged about Tammy Strobel who was inspired by Dave Bruno’s “The 100 Thing Challenge.” We as Americans love to have more. The more the better. Think of the old saying, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” Actually, he who dies with the most toys leaves a lot of clutter behind for his family to go through. Bruno started to realize that your stuff can consume you and came up with “The 100 thing Challenge.” Call him a minimalist, but Bruno and his blog about his 100 things has a lot of followers. Now I … Continue reading →

Are You Suffering from Frugal Fatigue

For myself, and I date say my fellow families.com frugal bloggers, frugality is a way of life. For most American’s however, frugality is a reaction to personal purse strings. The nation as a whole has been cutting back for the past one to two years, and many of them are sick and tired of it. Being frugal is more of a burden than a rewarding endeavor, and they can’t wait until they can get back to their old spend-spend-spending ways. The reason people are becoming tired of being frugal is that they have cut back to an extreme level and … Continue reading →