The Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock in Manhasset, NY hosted a presentation by Dr. Melanie Joy, a social psychologist and author of ”Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows.” Clearly a provocative topic, I salute the UU for creating this forum. Dr. Joy’s main theme is that most people who don’t live on farms don’t think about the killing that goes on to produce their food, and in fact this is partially due to the fact that it is hidden (somewhat intentionally) from most of us. Many people who are trying to be more conscious are switching to more “humanely raised” meat. However, she made a good point in asking audience members if they would feel ok about eating their golden retriever after a few years because it had a good life, running around, doing dog things. But this is what happens to other animals, and it is culturally accepted. With gentle warnings, she showed a few brief clips of scenes from factory farms, and discussed the idea of “carnism” (a term she coined), or meat-eating as “normal” and “necessary,” as we are raised in the western world to believe. Being that her own father is a commercial fisherman, Dr. Joy also spoke about the cultural and familial aspect of our dietary history. My kudos to the crowd of 75 people who held a thoughtful, positive, and respectful discussion afterwards. It gave me hope for our ability to become more aware even on very uncomfortable topics, and for the human mind to evolve towards less violence in the world.
New York
“Eco Fashion in the Park” Brings Eco Fashion To Northern Manhattan
Hello readers! I’m Madam Toussaint from the green blog sofreshandsogreen.com. I get to guest blog here about the “Eco Fashion in the Park” eco-fashion show in High Bridge Park in Washington Heights, NY. Far from the glitz of Fashion Avenue and Midtown Manhattan, Washington Heights is in northern Manhattan and has a large Latino population.
The show was organized by stylist Gina Constanza of House of Glam, who grew up in the neighborhood, with help from local Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez. [Read more…] about “Eco Fashion in the Park” Brings Eco Fashion To Northern Manhattan
Ecofashion Guru Speaks in NYC
Last night, Soham Dave hosted an evening with Sass Brown, author of the book “Ecofashion,” along with Branson Skinner, cofounder of Of Rags, at the Textile Arts Center in Manhattan. Soham Dave works directly with artisans in India, with each piece being hand-crafted, using natural materials and natural dyes. Of Rags is a NY company that upcycles clothing from pieces of existing clothing, and sells their items at about 20 university bookshops. Sass Brown is a leading expert in the field based in Italy who has taught at Fashion Institute of Technology and has worked with women’s cooperatives in Peru to advance sustainable fashion. Aside from authoring a book on the subject, she also blogs and contributes to magazines such as CocoEco Magazine.
It was a great event, with a room full of people interested in sustainable fashion. Very encouraging! Discussion focused on how far ecofashion has come and where it needs to go. Attendees included Harvey Russack, producer of The Green Shows, and Kate McGregor, owner of Kaight, NYC’s leading ecofashion shop located on Orchard St., NYC and Atlantic Ave. in Brooklyn.
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NYC Green City Challenge 2011
On October 23, 2011 the NYC Green City Challenge was held where people rode bikes around the city to visit some of the city’s “green highlights.” Winners received beautiful awards and a bag of green goodies. The challenge ended at Union Square, where I was invited to speak about how to reduce toxins in order to look beautiful and feel great, and also about how to have an ethical diet that doesn’t harm the planet. Many companies sponsored the event and offered exhibit booths at Union Square, including NYSERDA and Raw Food DVDs. I always learn something new: there is a company here on Long Island called Ciao water that sells bottled water in biodegradable plastic bottles. The plastic is infused with natural enzymes that will break the bottle down in about 5 years time. Other exhibitors included: Enagage Green, which offers eco-friendly bags, Green Apple Cleaners, Brooklyn Greenroof, Tri-State Biodiesel, and Ethicus, a website compiling all things green in NYC. See greencitychallenge.org.
Conservation Commissions Hold Conference on the Environment
Oct 21-23, 20011– The NYS Association of Conservation Commissions (NYSACC) held their annual meeting in Rensselearville, NY (near Albany) and I was invited to participate in a panel on climate change. It was a very smart and conscientious group, including some students who were given scholarships to attend. It was a fact-filled conference, with many from around the state sharing stories of their efforts to reduce their town’s greenhouse gas emissions. A compelling lecture was offered by Michael Gerrard, a well-known expert on environmental law from Columbia University. He spoke about the fact that when scientists talk about the effect of excess carbon dioxide, they have already taken into account all the natural background contributors, such as volcanoes and sun activity. He noted the widespread doubt being fostered by conservative news outlets and politicians, however there really is no scientific doubt anymore. Robert Moore, Environmental Advocates, spoke about hydrofracking and some of the other campaigns their organization is working on. I think everyone gained a lot of information that will assist them in going back to address the work that is clearly cut out for us. See www.nysaccny.org.
Greater Long Island Clean Cities, Advancing the Choice
The Greater Long Island Clean Cities held its annual Advancing the Choice Conference on October 14th, 2011 at Bethpage Park. This event highlights alternative fuel vehicles, alternative fuels, and all the people locally who are helping to make them a reality here on Long Island. Peter Scully, Regional Director of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) addressed the crowd with facts about climate change to remind the group why their efforts are so important. He pointed out a scary fact– because we are releasing so much carbon into the atmosphere that is binding with oxygen, there is now actually less in oxygen in the atmosphere. On the positive side, it’s therefore always inspiring to hear about successes with fleets being converted from conventional fossil sources of fuel, and to actually see cutting edge vehicles on display. See GLICC.org.