Fresh cut flowers brighten up the room and bring joy to those who see them.  In many cultures, cut flower bouquets are gifted to show love, caring, and good wishes.  Growing, transporting, and selling the fresh flowers for these bouquets is a huge global industry that creates opportunities for trade and jobs, especially in impoverished regions that have ideal flower-growing climates.  However, this industry has a very large environmental impact.  As the article below discusses, a lot of the fresh flowers are transported long distances in refrigerated planes and trucks.  A large percentage of the fresh flowers are raised in greenhouses (to protect from weather and pests) that use power to heat and cool the greenhouses.  When their beauty fades, most of these fresh flowers end up in landfills, where their decomposition creates methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.  A recent Washington Post article pointed out that roses, carnations and chrysanthemums are the three species that make up the vast majority of imported flowers in the US.  “The environmental impact of a bouquet plummets when the flowers are grown locally and are in season”, so consider buying fresh flowers that are likely to be grown in your region and transported by truck rather than airplane.  Or perhaps gift your loved one a live flowering plant.  In March, I received the gift of a flowering houseplant and it is still covered with blossoms.  If you have space, grow your own flowers and cut bouquets to bring inside.  Read the attached article for more information and ideas on how to reduce the impact of the fresh flowers you buy. 

https://ideas.ted.com/the-environmental-impact-of-cut-flowers-not-so-rosy
 

I really enjoyed this article.  It briefly discusses a variety of topics including some ideas for reducing eco-anxiety, a short discussion on why small individual sustainability actions are important, and references a book that I plan to find and read. 

https://www.theguardian.com/wellness/article/2024/may/06/sustainable-eco-friendly-green-mindset

All of us have looked at a food item wondering if it is too old to eat.  Most of the time, if we are not sure, we throw the item in the trash.  Adding to the confusion are the “best by”, “sell by” and “use by” dates on food packages in the US.  I found some information to help with those decisions, allowing us to safely reduce food waste in our homes. 

According to the US Department of Agriculture, “Food poisoning bacteria does not grow in the freezer, so no matter how long a food is frozen, it is safe to eat. Foods that have been in the freezer for months may be dry, or may not taste as good, but they will be safe to eat.”  In addition, “most shelf-stable foods are safe indefinitely. In fact, canned goods will last for years, as long as the can itself is in good condition (no rust, dents, or swelling). Packaged foods (cereal, pasta, cookies) will be safe past the ‘best by’ date, although they may eventually become stale or develop an off flavor. You’ll know when you open the package if the food has lost quality. Many dates on foods refer to quality, not safety. See FSIS’ Shelf-Stable Food Safety fact sheet for more information.”  The US Department of Agriculture is collaborating with the Food Marketing Institute and Cornell University to update the online Foodkeeper storage guide, which contains storage information on a wide variety of foods.
 
The website https://www.eatortoss.com/ provides information on many unusual food safety questions, in addition to more general guidance.  For example, the website discusses what to do if one strawberry in a container is moldy or if your celery is floppy.  The website also includes “use it up” recipes to help clean out the refrigerator or pantry.   
 

I have written several times about reducing food waste.  It’s very important for our planet, so here’s another article with ideas.  As the article points out, rotting food in landfills produces methane, which is a greenhouse gas that is more powerful than carbon dioxide.  The Washington Post points out that household food waste contributes the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions as the entire airline industry.  In addition, wasting food essentially wastes all the resources used to grow, prepare, transport, sell, and dispose of the food.  Food waste is a big problem for the world.  As the  article states:  “According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, rotting food makes up 24% of the trash in United States landfills. The United Nations estimates that globally, one third of all food produced is wasted. Food-insecurity nonprofit Feeding America estimates that in the US, 40% of food is wasted, the equivalent of 130 billion meals.”  Although significant food waste also occurs at farms and stores before we bring the food home, reducing household food waste is an essential action in our sustainability journey.   

https://www.rd.com/list/food-waste/