Brand boycott: Mitsubishi June 28, 2008

Cars are problematic. I don’t own one, yet I do drive one (although not for much longer). I will probably need to buy one to get around soon and the whole idea of personal movement powered by coal (trains) or oil (car, bus) is not very appealing. However, there aren’t a lot of options in a city this large. If my sisters were not in such a difficult location I think I would go without, although it would be hard to get to the markets.

In any case, Mitsubishi has not made the boycott list purely because it makes cars. They are not the worst cars and it would probably be unfair to list them solely on that basis. However, they do rate a mention for closing down factories in Australia and putting a lot of people out of work, people who have worked in car manufacturing their whole life.

Mitsubishi owns the Canadian Chopstick Manufacturing Company. This is one of the biggest companies that make the environmentally irresponsible disposable wooden chopsticks – and makes the best version. Chopsticks have great cultural significance in Japan, and many Japanese would consider it rude to be served with anything other than unused chopsticks (according to this book). This sensitivity has resulted in Japan becoming the world’s largest importer of hardwoods – for disposable chopsticks. The practice is on the rise in China and other countries, and is entirely unnecessary.

What makes disposable chopsticks (waribashi) so confusing is that Japan’s environmental concern has resulted in an obsession with recycling . Japan is home to super low-flush toilets, efficient cars, and alternative fuel research. Chopsticks, considered a gift from the gods, remain the Japanese conundrum.

So readers … be responsible. If you are getting takeaway or even finger food, refuse disposable chopsticks. Provide your own (they take seconds to wash), or eat with your hands!  Oh, and don’t buy a Mitsubishi car - with your hard earned cash, they could be logging old growth and hardwood forests for disposable chopsticks …

beer allergy?!? June 21, 2008

Oh no! Every time I’ve had beer lately it’s sent me into a frenzy of sneezes – and often the next morning too. I rarely drink, and if I do, it’s usually one beer or one glass of wine after or during dinner. But if the sneezing keeps up it might be easier to give it up sooner rather than later! I had intended to give it up eventually … perhaps sooner will be better. I guess I will provide further comments when I’ve discovered if it’s the alcohol or just some terrible coincidence!

greening my life: window cleaner June 21, 2008

Two weekends ago SO (significant other!) and I did a massive clean up of our unit, partly because it needed it, and partly because my parents (and landlords!) were coming over for lunch on Sunday. This amount of cleaning, and knowing my father’s fastidiousness, meant I scrutinised some of our products more closely that before.

Our window cleaning products are terrible!

We use a “green” brand that you can buy at the supermarket. No matter how much you use (heaps or a little), and no matter how you wipe it (with paper towel, a cloth or even a face washer), it is streaky! The multi purpose cleaner even did a better job.

Greeniology by Tanya Ha recommends using vinegar and newspaper to clean windows for an environmentally friendly solution. So, I got some old newspapers from work (we read it online at home), and some “bulk” vinegar for cleaning purposes.

Result: turns out that the newspaper by itself is the best option. Who would have thought? Give it a try!!

hiatus June 10, 2008

I haven’t been writing because I am almost finished uni for the semester and I need to finish off a major assessment. But I have been cooking and researching and I have MANY interesting posts coming …

recipe: greek lentil soup June 4, 2008

This recipe is from my mum’s hippie book from the 1970s, Laurel’s Kitchen.  Laurel was a vegetarian but not a vegan, but there are a few recipes that are okay.  This soup is amazing, I can’t get enough of it!  No photos because it doesn’t look all that appealing and because I keep eating it before I can take photos!  This amount is decent for about 6 people.

you will need…

2 cups of uncooked lentils
8 cups of water or vegetable stock (I use about 50/50)
1/2 onion, chopped
1 small carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 small potato, chopped
2 tablespoons oil
2 bay leaves
some salt and vinegar to flavour

…

Mix all ingredients except salt and vinegar in a soup pot, and cook until the lentils are very soft.  This will be about an hour.  When serving, add a little salt and a splash of white vinegar.

Yum!!

sweet william chocolate June 2, 2008

The search for an Australian owned and made, preferably locally produced, vegan chocolate has been on for a little while now.  I was at Coles with SO on the weekend and while looking for tahini in the ‘health food aisle’ (does this mean every other aisle is a junk food aisle?), we came across Sweet William chocolate bars.

I bought a 50g “Original” bar to bring home and try out.  It is amazing, it is excellent dairy-free ‘milk’ chocolate!  Every other vegan chocolate I have come across has been dark chocolate (which I also like, but its not the same).  I think that this chocolate tastes WAY better than regular chocolate too - it has no milky aftertaste.  So next time I shop I will buy a few to store away for a rainy day.

I even emailed them to tell them what a great product they are making - credit where credit is due!

brand boycott: nike May 29, 2008

Ahh Nike, how you impress us with your shiny and multilingual website.  How you showcase such innovative design in shoes and workout wear.  Oh and how you market it to the frumpy overworked middle and working classes who can barely afford the latest shoes to make them run faster when they barely have time to walk.  And how you shot to fame in the late twentieth century for your unethical use of sweatshops.

Wait!  What is that I hear?  You still use sweatshops?  Surely not.  Only eighty-nine years after the formation of the International Labour Organization, promoting decent work, poverty alleviation and right to association, Nike still seeks out countries across the globe who do not ensure these standards are met.  As soon as South Korea and Taiwan started to raise their expectations, over you popped to Indonesia, China and Vietnam.  Now you can exploit the workers of these countries too!  Who needs food anyway?  Poverty alleviation?   Whats that?  People who can’t afford to wear Nike don’t deserve anything but their contempt!

In reality, Nike makes enough from the retail sales of their shoes and clothing to more than double workers’ pay in the sweatshops they utilise, without even raising the prices of their products.  If it wasn’t enough that they are underpaying their workers, there appears to be concerns about physical and sexual abuses as well.

Things have changed since the 90s, but they haven’t changed enough for the “world’s leading shoe company”, and so, Nike, you are the very first company to make it onto my brand boycott.  Do not feel lonely, you will be in esteemed company shortly.

PS: I haven’t ever bought Nike, as with other companies who will feature here.  But sometimes you need to remind yourself of what is happening in the world so you aren’t tempted.

the australian environment foundation May 28, 2008

I love the way conservative think-tanks and anti-environmentalist groups give themselves names which mislead the average person.  The Australian Environment Foundation … sounds kinda warm and fuzzy, right?  Wrong!  Friends of the Earth wrote an article on this earlier this year, which borders on scary.  I guess I still find it shocking that any group can claim to be pro-logging, pro-mining and not be under constant scrutiny and challenged for its ideals.  Environmental groups are consistently challenged about their actions and beliefs.  I have too much faith in humanity!

In any case, its not really surprising that Don Burke is the face of this group.  As a child I called him Don Jerk, so I was always onto his ways.  I know, childish.

I don’t agree with people who support nuclear technology for energy production, but I can see their point and understand their argument.  Any “charity” which opposes the introduction of legislation to rule out wholesale clear felling - there is something fundamentally wrong here.

pod cuisine May 28, 2008

While at the Orange Grove markets a few weeks ago, I spotted a woman selling vegan prepackaged meals.  She was from this company, Pod Cuisine.  I tried out the Bebop Hotpot the first week, which is an amazing stew of black turtle beans, corn, leeks and a bunch of herbs and spices.  It was fantastic with brown rice and veggies.

After that resounding success I gave her Chickpea Chansons de Geste a go.  It was AMAZING.  It tasted like a honey mustard based curry.  I happen to LOVE sweet potato, which probably helps.

I can’t afford to buy these meals all the time, they are $8 for about 2-3 serves, so not too bad but more expensive than the raw ingredients.  I will probably buy one every now and then if I know I won’t have much time to cook.

I wish I had the recipe for the Chickpea Chansons de Geste though, I’d make it at least once a week.

sydney food fairness alliance May 27, 2008

Today while researching for uni I came across this group. They seem to do some really interesting work, but also seem not to have done anything recently. Their articles are very interesting and confirmed what I already knew about food production in the Sydney Basin.

I think I will keep an eye on their website and see if anything starts happening. I’m not willing to be a member of a group that doesn’t update their website and let people know what is going on!