Green Team Tips of the Week

Food & Drinking Water Tips

Sustainable Seafood
The Remarks, September 9, 2008

Wise seafood purchases can help sustain threatened populations of aquatic life. If the cost of wild seafood is prohibitive, choose farmed fish that are raised inland, which helps prevent diseases associated with farming from reaching wild fish. Proper farming also eliminates the problem of bycatch—the killing of fish caught unintentionally.

Do your part: The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch has helpful ideas on seafood sustainability, including regional guides that tell what fish to buy for the least environmental impact.

Tap into Savings: Drinking tap water saves money
The Remarks, August 19, 2008

Did you know that in DeKalb County 1,000 gallons of tap water costs between $1.01 and $3.78? In comparison, you may pay up to $2.00 for a 16-ounce bottle of bottled water! Bottled water is definitely more expensive than tap water and many people do not realize that tap water is just as safe to drink. One of the reasons people choose to drink bottled water instead of tap water is because of the perceived purity of bottled water; in fact, the rules and regulations for producing tap water are more stringent than manufacturing bottled water. Furthermore, some bottled water brands obtain their water from the same place you do - the tap (municipal water systems).

During this time of "Going Green" and being "Environmentally Friendly," manufacturing the plastic water bottles uses a lot of energy, not to mention that over 80% of these bottles end up in a landfill - causing environmental harm. Keeping in mind the necessity of water conservation, did you know that it takes almost 3 gallons of water to produce 1 gallon of bottled water? And in these days of high gas prices, there is no need to drive to the store to buy bottled water; you can get water from the tap delivered to your home in pipes already paid for with your money. So the next time you reach for a bottle of water, consider reaching for a glass and filling up from the tap instead. You'll be saving money, conserving water, and protecting the environment!

Source: Dekalb County Department of Watershed Management

Made in the Shade
The Remarks, June 17, 2008

Coffee was once grown mostly in shaded areas; today many growers are producing higher-yielding “sun coffee.” This practice requires extra pesticides and herbicides, can promote soil erosion, and reduces the habitat available to migratory songbirds including wood thrushes, tanagers, flycatchers, and Honduras orioles.

Do your part: To support growers who use sound farming and harvesting practices, look for the USDA Organic and Bird Friendly symbols on the coffee package, or for a clear statement that the coffee is shade-grown.

The Remarks, March 6, 2007

Buy Local. Buy Organic. Buying locally grown foods means less energy is required to drive your products to the market. Buying organic means your foods are produced without synthetic chemicals to control bugs or weeds, and organic farming usually means soil and water conservation practices are employed. Click here to find organic farms near you and to download the “Local Food Guide.”