Walmart may yet win over we greenies

Headlines are calling it The Great Grocery Smackdown. I'm just going to call it: the greatest green news I've heard in a while. Walmart is working pretty darn hard to do the right thing by local farmers as well as consumers.

Corby Kummer wrote a great piece for The Atlantic about the company's efforts to purchase and sell locally produced foods - which leads to a rather unexpected price and quality comparison to industry leader Whole Foods. Read the full article here.

To borrow a few words from the Environmental Defense Fund coordinator who is currently in charge of working with Walmart on agriculture programs, “It’s getting harder and harder to hate Walmart.”

Happy Earth Day, Folks!!

Now get out there and hug a tree! Or if you prefer to do something with a greater impact:

1.) Go vegetarian - even if only just for today.
2.) Become a member of the Arbor Day Foundation, receive ten trees, and plant 'em!
3.) Support emissions reduction initiatives with a donation to offset your carbon footprint.
4.) Help an endangered species. Two of my faves: AmphibianArk.org and WWF Adoption/Gift Center.
5.) And an oldie but goodie: If you see a piece of litter, pick it up.

seafood selector

I think it is safe to say that I consider myself more of an ecotarian than a vegetarian. If there were an official term for someone who practices the principles of Michael Pollan, I suppose that would be the ideal "-tarian title" for me. I digress... What I am trying to say is that, living in close proximity to the East Coast and Chesapeake Bay, I eat my fair share of seafood but have been meaning to find out the most environmentally responsible way to do so.

Yesterday, as luck would have it (and as a contributing member) I received the Environmental Defense Fund's Pocket Seafood Selector that lists the best, worst, and okay seafood choices for you and the ocean. I've listed some of the best and worst, based on environmental and health factors, below but please check out/download to your mobile phone/print the seafood and sushi guides and learn more on this website. No more Chilean Sea bass for me.

BEST:

Char, Arctic (farmed)

Mackeral, Atlantic

Oysters (farmed)

Sablefish/black cod (Alaska, Canada)

Salmon (Alaska wild)

Salmon, canned pink/sockeye

Sardines (U.S.)

Trout, rainbow (farmed)

Tuna, albacore (Canada,U.S.)

WORST:

Chilean sea bass

Grouper

Orange Roughy

Salmon, farmed or Atlantic

Shark

Swordfish (imported)

Tuna, bigeye (longline)

Tuna, yellowfin (imported longline)

Tuna, bluefin