LEARN: Landscaping in water-tapped areas

Many areas of the West, and some places in the Southeast, have been undergoing water shortages. With climate change already underway and many underground water sources already tapped, it is inevitable that less water will be the norm in the foreseeable future. As a result, you may already be experiencing water restrictions in your area and may be wondering what you can do to save your landscape -- which has likely been used to more regular watering.

In my book, The Mom's Guide to Growing Your Family Green, I offer more extensive education and ideas for helping to conserve water -- both for the home and garden. It is a handy resource for you. But to get you started, you might consider these beginning tips:

• Install drip irrigation -- consider changing out your watering to drip irrigation wherever possible. This will waste less water. Areas where you have bushes and trees are some of the best spots for installing drip systems, as well as gardens.


• Go native -- little by little change our your landscape to include more native plants. Sometimes you have to do a little research to find out what is native and what is not because importation of plants from other states and countries is now the norm. But native landscape will better withstand drier weather.


• Xeriscape -- plant less grass and more of other plants that can be more drought tolerant. Even most heat-hardy grasses still needs more watering than drought-tolerant bushes and trees. So, put grass down only where you need it. Some drought-tolerant, low-level groundcovers can look like grass and even be cut like grass, so this is another possibility as well.


• Plant trees -- There is nothing like trees in your landscape to lower surrounding outdoor temperatures, give partial shade to plants and the soil, and add beauty to your landscape. Water your trees deeply instead of superficially, and they will withstand periods of drought more easily.


• Amend your soil -- I recommend you have a compost. You can add this compost material to your landscape soil, once or twice a year, to help the soil retain moisture and enrich its health.

Some people may consider synthetic grass to save on water, pesticides, and fertilizers -- and I mentioned this in my book as a tremendous water saver with environmental benefits and tradeoffs. But since then I have reconsidered the extent to which these new-generation artificial grass products should be used, even if the company states they are made with recycled materials and will take back the product for recycling. This is because birds and other animals cannot access food in the dirt below, artificial grass has a tendency to intensify heat, and there are other environmental and health concerns that I now believe outweigh most the initial benefits (like significant water conservation) that people would have bought into.

So, I recommend you only consider artificial turf for specific situations and used in small quantities. Possible examples are an enclosed dog run, a situation where you need to reduce allergens for people who are highly allergic or have severe respiratory issues, or an outdoor area of an elderly person's home when the person cannot maintain natural grass (though, even in that case you might just use low-maintenance bushes and trees instead).

There is a debate over if synthetic turf should be used for high traffic areas -- like a sports field or daycare center -- I would say no based upon new 2009 research by the University of Arkansas. The University found that natural grass is cheaper, more easily renewed, much cooler, safer (due to less heat injuries, less chance of contracting disease from the grass), filters water and air pollutants, releases oxygen into the air, and it captures carbon dioxide.

If you don't want natural grass or can't support natural grass with water restrictions, you may consider not having any grass at all in your landscape, instead just landscape with a variety of trees, bushes, and naturally occurring plants and flowers that are specific to your area. And add compost to your soil so that it retains moisture longer.

This may require you to look at landscape in a different way -- my family and I were reminded of this when we visited the Piedras Blancas Light Station along the Central Coast of California this summer -- they have been undergoing an extensive plant restoration project to renew the area with native plants. And I have to say that the areas where native plants are now growing tends to be the most beautiful and biodiverse.

More: Revisiting Particulates

Another revisitation today -- this time with air quality. There's was an interesting interview today with Chip Jacobs and William Kelly at the NPR station KCRW in Los Angeles talking about smog and how it relates to particulate matter and global warming.

Regarding particulate matter -- they addressed the same issues I talked about almost exactly a year ago. Those issues being that the pollution in our air is getting finer and finer, in terms of size, and perhaps becoming equally or more dangerous than the pollution of yester-year -- only, we can't see it as much because it has changed. So people may not be complaining as much. And the interviewees notioned that perhaps we need added pollution measurements now. You can see how clean your air is where you live by looking at the map at www.airnow.gov.

You can listen to the interview below -- tip ... after you press play and see the moving guidebar under the smoggy city, move the guidebar to the 32 minute mark.

Revisiting Tissue Products

You are going to see more and more "naturally" labeled tissue products coming out, as the green movement swiftly moves through all consumer goods. One such example is tissue products. I wrote about how to select greener tissue products a couple of months ago in a two-part series, but now that some of the larger companies are starting to gain more distribution I will mention some key points again --

• Carefully read the labels -- again, you are looking for 100% recycled content with at least 40 percent of that being post-consumer waste AND bleaches with NO toxic chlorine compounds


• Print out the Greenpeace Tissue Guide for specific brand guidance

Also to note, if you see "ECF" (Elemental Chlorine Free) on the label or on the company's website, it doesn't mean chlorine free. It just means there is no elemental chlorine in the bleaching process because elemental chlorine was banned by the EPA in April 2001 due to toxicity issues. Instead, the company is using some other type of bleaching, probably chlorine dioxide. The Natural Resources Defense Council has outlined the various chlorine acronyms for you and what they mean here.

Major Food Victory for Consumers and Non-Industrialized Ranchers and Farmers

If you've seen the documentary "Food, Inc." (see my review here) or have been staying on top of news in the farming and organic industry, this past week was a potential tipping point in the favor of conscious consumers and non-industrialized ranchers and farmers. According to The Center for Food Safety's report "the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has re-affirmed its previous decision upholding a nationwide ban on the planting of genetically-engineered (GE) Roundup Ready alfalfa ... genetically modified alfalfa can result in potentially irreversible harm to organic and conventional varieties of crops, damage to the environment, and economic harm to farmers."

I foresee this ruling being a domino effect in reversing the flow of genetically modified plants and seeds and Monsanto's strangle hold on the farming industry.

The organizations you and your family have to thank in protecting your food supply in this courageous lawsuit are not just The Center for Food Safety but also Western Organization of Resource Councils, National Family Farm Coalition, Sierra Club, Beyond Pesticides, Cornucopia Institute, Dakota Resource Council, Trask Family Seeds, and Geertson Seed Farms. You can subscribe to these organizations' blog and newsletters to be kept up to date on future issues.

How I Support My Local Food Producers

I was at my local farmer's market this morning. Thankfully it was busy. Hopping with customers and lots of produce booths.

Most of my vegetables I now get from my local CSA (see my post about community supported agriculture) and would love nothing more than for my CSA to have a pickup spot at my local farmer's market -- here's hoping. So, I buy extra, needed veggies (like if I need more lettuce or onions than appear in my CSA weekly box) at the farmer's market and nearly all our fruits. Sometimes we buy freshly baked bread.

There's an organic farmer at my farmer's market who sells seasonal fruit all yearround. I love the guy!!! He is so genuine. I can say I actually know who grows the food my family eats!!!! I bought a BIG bag of seasonal peaches, plums, and nectarines -- ALL ORGANIC. I said nothing would make me happier than if I had a reason to buy him out for the day. Then he said, "I sometimes drive home at night from these farmer's markets and wish someone would stop my truck and say 'I want to buy all your fruit.' But then I wouldn't get to talk to the folks at the markets." A rare moment of sincerity.

I used to get eggs at the farmer's market, but not now. They aren't cage free and aren't organic -- so I go to my local grocer for that.

My farmer's market also has a booth for "catch of the day." It's a local guy selling fish. But I stood there and went through each of his offerings, comparing them to Seafood Watch recommendations -- all of them were on the avoid list. So, even though frustration showed all over his face, I talked to him about how "catch of the day" doesn't mean sustainable. Wild doesn't even mean sustainable. And that he could sell more fish to the enlightened crowd that comes to these farmer's markets if he were to sell fish exclusively on the Seafood Watch Best Choices List and advertise as such. I think he still doesn't get it. So, next week I'm going to take him a seafood watch card and talk to him more about it.

REVIEW: Food, Inc.

In another film review this week, I present "Food, Inc." A trailer is posted below.

This documentary has received more press and interest than my last review "The End of the Line" but both films are equally important and required films, I believe, for the public and politicians at large.

"Food, Inc." deals with the industrialization, ownership, and safety of our food -- your food, your family's food, your health, and your future.

Most people who are not following environmental and organic-themed articles on a regular basis would find this documentary revealing and shocking. And guess what? They might actually change their food buying behaviors after seeing this film. Kudos!

One of the issues in the film that I feel is one of the greatest threats to our food supply is the monopolistic ownership of our food by corporations. Monsanto was a focus of a good portion of the film, since the company has moved into farming by genetically altering seeds and patenting them. The company and its vast money and legal resources has been able to find insane but legal reasons to stop local farmers from saving their own seeds and planting any crops that are not grown from Monsanto's seeds. Not only this, but even with scientific evidence pointing to many health and environmental dangers with genetically altered seeds and animals, large companies like Monsanto have been able to infiltrate the government with powerful relationships and lobbying tactics that have prevented the general public from knowing which foods are altered or not. This has forced many farmers into bankruptcy and puts our food safety and security into question. This issue also threatens the future of organic foods.

The thought I had was, in the end, Monsanto is actually decreasing its sustainability. In a world without crop diversity and heritage seeds, it is conceivable that one error in Monsanto's seed experiments could wipe out an entire crop ... forever. All for greed. May you shudder every time you hear Monsanto's name as a sponsor on NPR (more about this here).

Says The Center for Food Safety in its "Monsanto vs. U.S. Farmers Report":

As growing numbers of farmers become subject to harassment,investigation, and prosecution by Monsanto over supposed infringement of its seed patents and technology agreements, there will have to be increased pressure to reverse the governmental policies that are allowing this persecution. Various policy options include passing local and state-wide bans or moratoriums on plantings of genetically engineered crops; amending the Patent Act so that genetically engineered plants will no longer be patentable subject matter and so that seed saving is not considered patent infringement; and legislating to prevent farmers from being liable for patent infringement through biological pollution. Implementation of these, and a variety of other options discussed in more detail in the report, is critical. Nothing less than the future of America’s farmers and farming communities is at stake.

Here's how you can choose better food and protect the future sustainability of our food:

• Speak up: Write your government officials and let them know you support The Center for Food Safety's recommendations above, bolded in red. Also, ACT BY JUNE 29 to write in your support of more oversight on genetically modified crops by going to this link at truefoodnow.org.
• Make everyday changes: Food, Inc.'s website has a list of everyday things you can do to help change our food system, including eating as much organic food as possible, frequenting farmer's markets, opting into a CSA, and reducing the amount of meat you eat.

REVIEW: The End of the Line

This is the first in a series of reviews that I will role out this week of planet/people focused films that I've recently seen.

Over the weekend I saw The End of the Line, a film about overfishing and the state of the oceans' marine life. Recently I talked about the film, after being introduced to Charles Clover at a Monterey Bay Aquarium event in May. Clover is the author of a book by the same name as the film -- he is the environment editor of London's Daily Telegraph and is featured in the piece.

This documentary is quite hard hitting. It is my belief that every politician and citizen in the developed world should see this film. Massive, immediate change is needed in fishing and ocean policies -- and those policies cannot be politically driven. They must be scientifically based. If we did it to save the whales, one can only hope we can do it on a larger scale -- but it will take a lot of voices in high and important places to save our ocean marine life.

One point that was suggested in the film was frightening to me. The fact that some corporations are seemingly fishing species after species down to the last fish, deep freezing them, and waiting until there are no more left of each species so that they can command the highest price in selling off their reserves of a now-extinct species. It sounds like a bad movie, doesn't it?! But this is real-life, human greed gone mad. Are we so insane about money and power that we are willing to implode the planet just to live like a king? Apparently we may be on that path.

Another greater problem (if there could be one) is apathy. People can know a lot about how to take care of themselves but still be obese. The same is true with the marine life problem. You can educate yourself until you're blue in the face but still choose unsustainable seafood and not voice your concerns. This was demonstrated when we went to go see The End of the Line; as we were leaving the theatre I took it upon myself to let the audience members know, as they were coming out of the theatre, that Seafood Watch cards were on a table in the lobby. They looked at me like dazed zombies. I explained what Seafood Watch cards were, and still no takers. This was from a group of people who had just seen a film that knocked them up silly about the need to be more sustainable!

Therefore, ACTION IS THE WORD OF THE DAY.

Here is a link to a post I did on World Oceans Day about the complexities of the overfishing problem and what the average person can do about it.

Below is a trailer of The End of the Line. Find a way to see the film so that you understand the issues more completely, and invite several of your friends to come with you.