During World War II, 40% of the nations produce was grown on small local gardens called Victory Gardens. The gardens lowered the cost of fruits and vegetables, fed troops, and brought communities on the home-front together.

In a time where we as American’s are eating ourselves to death and where climate change could cause unprecedented food shortages, the Victory Garden might be an old idea worth reexamining. If you haven’t already heard, the incoming administration is asking for ideas and the victory garden has been proposed.

Submit your own idea for the Obama administration or vote for the victory gardens at Change.org

Dear St. Nick, or as I like to call you “The Claus”,

I know this might be a very late request, but I think you should check out this new alternative to plastic when you go out to deliver your gifts. The german company Tecnaro, has developed a “liquid-wood” that is bio-degradable and recyclable. It can be injection-molded to make toys and addresses concerns that people have about toxins in plastic toys. Arboform is made from the bi-products of paper-making and can be used to make everything from golf-tees to car parts to toys to the nativity scene below. If you can’t get some of these gifts made this holiday season, perhaps next year.

Peace,
The Green Rapper

With a 21 percent jobless rate in Motown, many people have taken advantage of empty lots to build community gardens. This AP article reports that within the city of Detroit, hundreds of urban vegetable gardens have popped up on abandoned properties. This kind of land grab has become common in the city where a house was famously purchased for 1 dollar.

In Los Angeles, a much more contentious story played out in the ashes of the 1992 Riots. The Garden Movie documents the story of an urban farm in South Central and the fight to preserve it from development. Here is a preview:

The turkey sabbatical proved to be very productive. Made a 30 second cartoon for the Environmental Defense Action Fund’s carbon cap video competition. Submitted it just before the deadline. Whew! C-Diddy voices the giant C02 monster.

When you make coffee at home, do you throw out your cup every day? So then why does Starbucks throw out countless cups, even when people are drinking their java in the store. For a company that markets itself as “conscious”, they sure don’t offer their customers many options to stay green. I’ve only been to one Starbucks where ceramic cups were offered, and when I got my coffee there was a nice layer of dust in the foam.
(Via Justin)

Sign the petition here

In this TED talk, Paul Stamets makes the case for saving species of fungi whose mycelium may be able to create energy, sequester carbon, naturally kill pests, and protect us from global pandemics. This video is rich with insights on the power of mushrooms. Check out how you can get involved at www.fungi.com and if you haven’t watched free TED talks, get your world class education here.

I got a chance to join more than 1000 volunteers on Hands On Bay Area’s Be The Change Day. There were 22 projects to choose from and I was lucky enough to do invasive plant removal at the San Francisco Zoo.

I stayed away from the Tiger cages, wielding a rake just in case. I was in high demand for my wheelbarrowing skills as we transferred ice plant into a huge compost dumpster. There were a lot of cool people and if you’re in the bay area and want to volunteer, you should definitely check out HOBA’s programs.