Earth Day couldn’t have arrived at a nicer time in Chicago. The trees are just beginning to leaf out; warmer weather is not only here, but seems to be thinking about staying. The magnolias and daffodils are in bloom, and the peonies are growing!
Looking for a way to mark the day? May I suggest:
- Reading something from Michael Pollan. He writes so well, and really got me thinking about the way we eat in America, and to be more thoughtful about our food, and more importantly, motivated me to make some changes in our diet. If you have a lot of time, I suggest The Omnivore’s Dilemma. (Easily one of my favorite reads from 2007.) If you have a little time, read In Defense of Food. And if you don’t have any time to read, you still should check out his piece in Sunday’s NYTimes Magazine, “Why Bother?”. It’ll motivate you to make a small change (or keep with it).
- A nice companion to Michael Pollan’s writing is the movie King Corn. We watched it last week, and my son was fascinated by the work that goes in to farming an acre of corn. Not to mention the politics of farming. (You’ll get to see and hear from Michael Pollan, too!)
- As Whole Foods officially says goodbye to plastic bags today, I have to share my favorite shopping tote. My Reisenthel Carrybag (orange, of course) is permanently in the trunk of my Mini, ready to go. I use it all the time on my Target runs: it’s the perfect combination of shopping basket while in the store and plastic bag reducer when you’re finished shopping. (It’s also a conversation starter at the checkout.) Get yours at Garnet Hill.
Happy Earth Day! Until tomorrow …..