 You don't have to be vegan to love vegan food, as evidenced by the popularity of Real Food Daily. The Santa Monica branch of RFD's even taken over the space next door (I think it used to be a Chinese restaurant) and is in the process of putting in a new bakery.
Sadly, while I'd love to have someone prepare nice vegan meals for me daily, I can't afford to eat at RFD every day. Which is why I was excited to discover Vegin' Out, a local vegan food delivery service, at the Room 367 event last month. Vegin' Out was sampling out a very tasty vegan jambalaya.
How would you like healthful, local, organic food cooked and delivered to your doorstep? Vegin' Out does just that -- and pretty affordably too! For $100, you can sign up to get 9-10 fresh vegan meals delivered to you (free delivery in the L.A. area; $15 for DHL shipping elsewhere).
 Founded in 1999, Vegin' Out's co-owned by Tim Boissy, a nutritional chef, and his brother Dan Boissy. Vegin' Out gets much of its produce from the Santa Monica Farmers' Market; about 75% of the ingredients in Vegin' Out's trans fat-free meals are certified organic.
So last week, I tried out Vegin' Out's service. Monday morning, I received a few entrees, a few side dishes, soup, and most importantly, almond shortbread cookies!
My favorite dishes were the tofu cordon bleu over wild rice and the vegetarian chili, both of which I feel I could eat every day (at least for a few months). The side dishes -- like the carrots in creamy garlic sauce, cauliflower with braised tomatoes, and spring succotash -- were pretty tasty too.
There were a few duds too, however. The country garden spring soup was rather bland, for example -- though I did end up eating all of it. The main oddity about my delivery was the large number of carrots used in the dishes. In addition to the three servings of carrots in creamy garlic sauce, there were small pieces of carrots in the chili and soup, as well as larger pieces in the pepper steak mushroom stroganoff. I do like carrots, but a girl's got her limits! Brian L. Patton, Sales & Marketing Manager for Vegin' Out, did assure me this was an anomaly for the week.
Luckily, each week's delivery includes a preview menu for the next week -- and customers can specify if they'd like to omit one dish to double up on another. This option's one I could use to avoid too much of any one veggie as well as avoid veggies I don't want -- i.e. broccoli -- altogether.
 While I liked the food, I did have some qualms about Vegin' Out's packaging. All the food's delivered in plastic one-use packaging (recyclable, but still) -- encased in a plastic bag to boot. Patton says that the biodegradable packaging they've tried didn't work as well, and thus are sticking to the current plastic containers "until we find the ideal option." Switching out the bags, however, is at the top of our priority list," says Patton. "We're currently weighing out our options for that ... either reusable or biodegradable."
The plastic packaging's really an issue for me, because it'd suddenly bring up my use of those clam shell things from maybe one a week to seven or so! Of course, for people who buy a lot of pre-packaged prepared foods anyway, switching to Vegin' Out deliveries might actually cut down on their plastic consumption.
I think I'll hold off from using Vegin' Out's services until they at least get rid of the plastic bags -- which are soon going to be banned in my town (Santa Monica) anyway. Hopefully that day will come soon; the vegan orange chocolate chip cookies on next week's menu sound really yummy.
Vegin' Out. (310) 574-9405
 Recycling odd, small items brings out two camps: The "Why're you wasting time with small meaningless things when we've got big problems" crowd, and the "Finally -- a solution for my mini quandary" crowd. This post's for the people in the latter granola group.
And I mean "granola group" literally, as in people who enjoy eating granola. Sign up for The Energy Bar Wrapper Brigade to get 2 cents per used granola bar wrapper and the peace of mind that those trashy things'll get upcycled into backpacks, purses, and other more permanent products.
That program's sponsored by CLIF bar, which has teamed up with the worm-poop eco-fertilizer company TerraCycle to create this upcycling project. CLIF isn't alone; companies ranging from the Stonyfield Farms yogurt company to the rather biz-as-usual Nabisco are also sponsoring TerraCycle projects. Got a Chips Ahoy or Oreo addiction? Pack your kids Capri Suns every day? Save the trash, earn money, and feel saintly green.
Of course, some die-hard environmentalists will argue that the real problem is not the disposal of the packaging but our addiction to single-serving convenience foods -- especially unhealthy, processed stuff like Oreos. I hear that, but still eat the occasional CLIF and Maya bar. I also get the local Redwood Hill Farm's yogurt sometimes, and once, I bought organic oreos.
The companies selling the food products are the ones paying for the projects, from the shipping costs of the materials to the 2-5 cent incentives. This allows TerraCycle to obtain zero-cost materials. "We don’t make a profit from the funds that [the sponsor companies] provide us with," says James Artis of TerraCycle. "We simply use those funds for operating expenses. Where we as a company look to turn a profit is the affordable eco-friendly products that we make from the garbage."
Unfortunately, unless you know of or have signed up an organization you're involved in with the upcycling program, disposing of all this packaging in an eco-manner still isn't easy. TerraCycle's website puts the recycling program info upfront, but the sponsoring companies' websites don't have anything about the programs in a place where consumers could easily find out about it. In addition, while many organizations have signed up with the program, those organizations aren't listed in any kind of public database that would let would-be upcyclers drop wrappers off at a nearby location.
My guess is that too much publicity -- like installing collection bins at every major supermarket -- might overwhelm TerraCycle's resources. Already, TerraCycle's taking a break from adding "brigades" for energy bar wrappers, yogurt containers or soda bottles.
Still, if your school or other group wants to participate, signing up is pretty easy -- and free. Plus the money collected could be used toward fundraisers. I'm wondering if my favorite grocery store, Co-opportunity, can be talked into getting a collection box.
 >> Priuses: Still popular. Toyota's announced a third plant in Japan to make batteries for hybrids.
>> The "Give your car the summer off" campaign. Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels wants Seattleites to cut back on driving by 10%. "Local businesses and museums are dangling incentives to try to get people to take the bus, ride a bike or car pool to cut down on the number of miles they travel." (via Treehugger)
>> Redefining transportation. At Brayj Against the Machine, Josef El-Brayjerino lays out some bicycle transportation policy goals for L.A. -- which includes suggestions for tweaking the L.A. municipal code to include bicycling and walking in the legal definition of transportation. (via Streetsblog LA)
>> Cleaning up the Port. The Middle Harbor facility project for the Port of Long Beach just released its environmental impact review for public comment. "The 10-year, $750-million project would combine two terminals that are too old, inefficient and dirty to meet the port's goals for pollution reduction and greater productivity."
>> The "Future of Wine." Richard Selley of Imperial College London wrote a book about the future of British wines in the face of climate change. "Given reports that climate change is already raising the alcohol content of wines (warmer temperatures mean more sugar which is converted into alcohol) it looks like the taste of climate change is a boozy one."
>> Tuna calculator. Use Environmental Working Group's handy calculator to figure out how much Albacore or light tuna you can safely enjoy in a week. (via Green Daily)
>> Honey, I shrunk the frogs. "Human disruption to habitats not only causes populations to get smaller, it also seems to cause the individuals of some species to literally shrink."
Photo by Siel
 So factory farmed meat gets a lot of bad press -- but if you're not quite sure what the problem with the unnatural meat is, 'The Simpsons' can help you out. (via The Ethicurean)
In “Apocalypse Cow,” Bart gets to know a "scrappy little misfit" of a cow called Lou when he joins 4H. Unfortunately, Lou gets sent to a feedlot -- and more fortunately, the storyline educates viewers about growth hormones, slaughterhouses, and, um, Casablanca.
For more factory farming fun, watch The Meatrix, a cute short animation feature by Sustainable Table. My favorite character's Moofius.
Need a more realistic, less cartoonish video to get you concerned about factory farming? Check out the videos from the Humane Society that got Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. in Chino, Calif., in trouble -- and precipitated the biggest beef recall in history.
>> L.A. lifeguards get into hybrids. Ford presented 10 Beach Patrol Escape Hybrids to the L.A. County Lifeguard Headquarters in Venice last week. "With four-wheel drive, it'll return 29 mpg in town (or on the beach), and 27 mpg on the highway." The fleet will grow to 45 vehicles. (via Treehugger)
 >> BBC correspondent discovers that -- gasp! -- L.A.'s subway "system" is still incomplete. But kudos for him for taking the train to the Kodak Theatre.
>> Suits made of recycled PET bottles are coming to Sears, which plans to sell them for about $200 a suit starting on Father's Day.
>> Sex toys sans phthalates. Get more eco- and health-friendly beads and rings from natch snatch. (thanks to Susannah for the tip.)
>> The rise -- and hopefully fall -- of high fructose corn syrup. Hansen’s Natural Soda is replacing HFCS with cane sugar, and to mark the occasion, Mark R. gives us a little HFCS history.
Photo by Cathy Cole via Flickr
 >> Exxon's really, really good at squeezing money out of its gas stations. "Major integrated U.S. oil companies, which produce crude oil, own refineries and sell gasoline, have been reaping billions of dollars in profit over the last two years, but they are still working to extract every penny they can from the marketing end of the business."
>> ExxonMobil really, really doesn't want to take action on climate change. According to Co-op America, ExxonMobil "sent its investment relations people to major investors nationwide to convince them to vote against resolutions urging Exxon to take action on climate change." ExxonMobil's annual shareholders' meeting happens May 28.
>> You're probably familiar with the EnergyStar logo, but what about the WaterSense label? This partnership program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency makes it easier to identify water-efficient products. "The EPA has claimed that if every home in the US switched to WaterSense labeled fixtures, we would save 60 billion gallons of water a year," says Joel Bittle in Low Impact Living.
>> Eco-kitchen remodeling must be the in thing right now. In addition to the recent Wall Street Journal how-to guide of sorts, here's Chow's guide to building the ultimate green kitchen.
>> Today's the last day of World Vegetarian Week! Eat a PB&J sandwich in celebration -- or get some veggie burgers for the BBQs tomorrow.
Photo by Jeremy Stanley via Flickr
 I was going to write about Wired's over-the-top "everything you know about environmentalism is wrong" cover message -- then found a bunch of bloggers had done so already. That didn't, however, stop me from my impulse to still add my two cents! So here are the three main quibbles I have about Wired's wannabe contrarian feature:
Overblown headlines. For example, the "Keep your SUV" article doesn't actually encourage you to keep your SUV. It simply points out that if you own a relatively fuel-efficient car already, keeping that old car may be more eco than buying a new hybrid. "Crank the A/C" is another big headline -- as if turning your house into an icebox will save the environment -- when all the article really shows is that heating takes more energy than cooling.
 Out-of-date mantras. "Live in cities," Wired announces as some brand new idea -- never mind that new urbanism advocates have been pushing for walkable, close-knit neighborhoods that don't require lots of driving for decades now. Even Villaraigosa's been on board with this for years now. It's a little odd for Wired to say "The war on greenhouse gases is too important to be left to the environmentalists" -- before going on to advise we do exactly what environmentalists have been recommending for a long, long while.
 Oversimplification of complex issues. "Screw organic," says Wired, arguing that organic farming requires more land per unit of food -- without taking into effect the many environmental disasters (i.e. pesticide runoff) created by conventional factory farms that also increase their carbon footprints. Wired takes a myopic one-solution-cures-all approach and disses organic to champion local. In contrast, environmentalists in general caution against a silver bullet theory, and instead encourage a general move toward a less meat-centric diet favoring locally and sustainably grown organic foods.
For more Wired dissing, check out the rebuttal piece by Worldchanging's Alex Steffen also published in this Wired issue. In addition, Hank Green of EcoGeek provides a point-by-point analysis of each Wired topic, and David Roberts of Grist has a more sarcastic tirade of sorts about the tiredness of Wired ("This techno-futurist, hipster-libertarian, self-consciously contrarian shtick was fresh and interesting ... back in 1996, when Wired was founded").
 Have your organic locally-grown carrot cake and eat it too! The Hollywood Farmers' Market is turning 17, and the celebrations kick off with a carrot cake cutting ceremony at 8 a.m. -- Get there early and enjoy a free piece!
When: Sunday, May 25, 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Where: Hollywood Farmers' Market, at Ivar and Selma avenues between Hollywood and Sunset, Los Angeles
Cost: Free!
There'll be face painting and an arts and crafts workshop for kids starting at 9. For the cooks, a chef demonstration with Pace's Sandy Gendel -- a twice-weekly farmers' market shopper -- begins at 10 a.m.
Shop local, eat good cake -- and don't forget to take your own bag!
 Bike to Work Week's officially over, but the bicycle love just keeps coming -- into my mailbox and e-mail inbox. The latest fun bike love comes in the form of a cute 120-page booklet, "Seven Wonders for a Cool Planet," written by Eric Sorensen and others at the nonprofit think tank Sightline Institute and published by the Sierra Club.
The first wonder, as you may've guessed, is the bicycle. Why? It's the most energy-efficient vehicle ever made, and it's available widely NOW. In fact, all seven "wonders" covered in this book -- from the condom to the clothesline -- are ALL uber-efficient objects that are both affordable and readily available.
While all seven of these items are eco-friendly, efficient inventions in and of themselves, each also serves as a synecdoche for larger environmental issues. Yes, every bike ride that replaces a car trip reduces CO2 emissions -- but considering the bicycle also forces us to confront larger issues about our transportation habits, our city layout and planning, our car culture, and the like.
Those of you reading this blog'll be happy to know that the microchip also makes the list, as a synecdoche for the information economy. After all, the computer's made telecommuting -- and the attendant reduction in auto travel -- possible. Even though computer use still uses up a lot of energy, the computer's given us a way of sharing information cheaply and efficiently.
Of course, I did have quibbles with the book here and there, mainly because "Seven Wonders" often tends to oversimplify issues and statistics for dramatic impact. For example, "Seven Wonders" asserts that a book bought at a bookstore incurs 16 times the energy costs of a book bought at Amazon -- despite the fact that enviro experts have shown e-commerce only saves energy -- and not even that much -- if you live in rural areas.
In addition, "Seven Wonders" claims roughly 80% of humans can afford to buy a bicycle -- which I have a hard time believing, considering the fact that over half of the world's population lives on less than $2 per day according to the United Nations Development Programme.
Still, I liked the book's can-do attitude and the micro-macro perspective to the major enviro-issues confronting us today. Read some excerpts here, or buy the book -- printed on chlorine-free, 50% post-consumer recycled paper -- for $9.95.
 Buy a carton of cow's milk, and the ingredient list will often list just that: milk. Not so with soy milk. What is "carrageenan" and why's it in my soy milk? That's what I asked Twitter after getting home with my Silk organic soy milk, bought at Vons yesterday after much indecision. Within a few hours, I had a few tweets back:
- Curtis: "gelatinous extracts of the Chondrus crispus seaweed". Bon apetit ;)
- Zel: Silk is the Velveeta of soy milk. Or at least the Kraft American cheese. I like the Trader Joe's brand. I used to like the 365 brand until they switched to plastic containers. 8th Continent is also good and mostly natural. I could go on...
 I usually shop at Co-opportunity and Whole Foods, but it was a soy milk emergency (I wanted to make pancakes) and a Vons happened to be right there. Since big grocery stores have really been getting into the organic market, I figured finding organic soy milk would be a cinch.
Sure enough, I found not just one, but two organic soy milk brands to choose from. Unfortunately, both Silk and Vons' own O Organics soy milks had a lot of non-soy stuff in their ingredients. I finally settled on Silk because it had fewer ingredients I couldn't pronounce.
Here's Silk's ingredient list:
And here's Organic O's:
 Why are fewer ingredients better? Well for one thing, I don't want a whole lot of sugar and its empty calories unceremoniously poured into my soy milk. Unsweeted soy milk is nuttily sweet enough for me, thank you very much.
For another, who knows what all this stuff is? Organic O's "zinc gluconate" initially sounded scary to me, though I later discovered the stuff's commonly used in supplements and not actually dangerous. However, according to Wikipedia, "Zinc gluconate may interfere with the absorption of antibiotics, so combinations may be unsafe." Luckily, I'm not taking antibiotics, but for those who are, drinking this soy milk could cause problems, unbeknownst to the soy milk lover!
The soy milk I usually get: Westsoy Organic Unsweetened Soy Milk. Here's the ingredient list:
That's the way I like my soy milk: Free of cane sugar and carrageenan.
Silk and Organic O aren't even the real baddies when it comes to weird food ingredients. In case you missed it, Kraft even got sued for its “guacamole” which contains just 2% avocado. What’s the other 98%? Partially hydrogenated soybean and coconut oils, corn syrup, whey and food starch. Yummy.
But back to soy milk. For bargain hunters: I believe Trader Joe's brand of unsweetened soy milk is also nice and simple. Can someone with a carton in the fridge confirm that? My closest Trader Joe's is just far enough away that I only go once every month or two.
Photos by Siel
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You don't have to be vegan to love vegan food, as evidenced by the popularity of Real Food Daily. The Santa Monica branch of RFD's even taken over the space next door (I think it used to be a Chinese restaurant) and is in the process of putting in a new bakery. 
Founded in 1999, Vegin' Out's co-owned by Tim Boissy, a nutritional chef, and his brother Dan Boissy. Vegin' Out gets much of its produce from the Santa Monica Farmers' Market; about 75% of the ingredients in Vegin' Out's trans fat-free meals are certified organic. 
While I liked the food, I did have some qualms about Vegin' Out's packaging. All the food's delivered in plastic one-use packaging (recyclable, but still) -- encased in a plastic bag to boot. Patton says that the biodegradable packaging they've tried didn't work as well, and thus are sticking to the current plastic containers "until we find the ideal option." Switching out the bags, however, is at the top of our priority list," says Patton. "We're currently weighing out our options for that ... either reusable or biodegradable." 
Emerald City calendar