Food

Anyone who knows me knows that food is a very important part of my life. Recently CBC had a story on urban food and gardens (I didn't catch all of the story, but believe that this is the gist of it). Basically, cities should work to deliberately produce food...mainly what they can in a garden. The food would then be made available to a wider group of people in the city. This would cut down on the transportation of food; thus, the output of fossil fuels. Also, gardeners could grow food that is free of chemicals and hormones. Besides that, greenery is good for our minds, bodies and souls. Creating a neighbourhood garden or a rooftop garden is certainly one way to accomplish this given that there seems to be less and less urban space. Given the rising costs of just about everything, creating an urban garden this spring and summer actually makes a lot of sense.

Containers

I was recently in Paris, France and enjoyed myself immensely. One of my favourite things to do in a foreign country is to visit grocery stores. I went to several different Mono Prixs around the city. I was struck by how different they were from one another. Anyways I found a snack that was not just pure yum but also more environmentally friendly than what we have here in North America - chocolate pudding. This pudding is made with real chocolate, even the cheap brands are made with real chocolate...better than that, the pudding comes in glass jars. Here in North America, puddings come in plastic cups. Now I know these cups are recyclable, but here in Kamloops, there is no where (not yet anyways) to recycle plastic food containers that yogurt or pudding comes in. Glass jars make the puddings look richer, more luxurious and taste better. So to all the pudding/yogurt manufacturers in North America, learn from your European counterparts to make a better product that will be friendlier to our environment.