America, the Beautiful (cough cough)

Reposted from DeafDC.com
By Liz Stone on Tue 3 Jul 2007

“Oh Beautiful for smoggy skies, insecticided grain,
For strip-mined mountain’s majesty above the asphalt plain.
America, America, man sheds his waste on thee,
And hides the pines with billboard signs, from sea to oily sea.”
~George Carlin

This Carlin fella may be funny, but he’s talking about some serious issues. The signers of the Declaration of Independence probably never dreamed that America would become the powerful force it is today. If they were alive nowadays, they’d no doubt change that famous line to say, “…life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and a thriving global environment.”

In that spirit, honoring the 7 of this year and month, I give you…

Seven tips to be the (green) life of the party for July 4th:

Be a super saver — use recyclables and reusables.
Share gas–carpool. Or better yet, use Metro.
Indulge in happy cows and chickens — look for cage-free, hormone-free, antibiotic-free, grass-fed, and/or free-range meat.
When choosing your summer recipe, keep the environment and health in mind– buy and eat local; get the real thing, not the fake processed stuff; try a new recipe that’ll impress your carnivorous and herbivorous friends alike.
BYOC–Bring Your Own Cup. It’ll never get lost and will never get mistaken for someone else’s drink.
Clean up greenly — designate a trash area where there are several containers labeled for different kinds of trash such as: compostables (think: food waste, yard waste, anything that’s biodegradable but not recyclable), recyclables (cans, bottles), paper (paper plates, cups, newspapers, etc.), and trash. It’s a great way to get guests thinking about waste reduction.
Go nocturnal–consider hosting a party in the evening so you can light pretty candles to reduce the use of electricity, go easy on the AC, and see the fireworks!
Creating a thriving global environment ain’t no laughing matter, and for the spacious skies, from sea to shiny sea, we need it. These little tips go far in making a difference. This is also a day to remember all the Americans that fought for our country. For whatever political beliefs we have, let’s take a moment to wish those soldiers in Iraq a safe trip back home. I’m going to take the liberty of borrowing these words from my friend, a food writer, “May there be peas!”

Happy July 4th!