The Cost Of Going Green

Today I was walking in Union Square when I saw two middle-aged women eating happy meals from McDonalds. This image seemed rather ironic to me since 1) they obviously were not children and they were eating children's meals 2) I had just walked through the Union Square greenmarket, a cornucopia of local healthy food choices. I would like to debunk the myth that local food because it is "too expensive" to be bought instead of conventional foods. On Saturday I spent seventy-five dollars at the farmer's market on a wide range of items (sixteen pounds of carrots and potatoes, two loaves of local bread, two pounds of local whole wheat flour, local pancake mix, twenty or so apples, two heads of cabbage, hydroponic tomatoes, a tub of butter, two quarts of skim milk, a large container of yogurt, local granola, maple syrup, and goat cheese. (A picture of these items will be uploaded ASAP).

All of these products will sustain me for the week (21 meals and some snacks) which averages out to $3.57 a meal. My old lifestyle would allow me to spend 2.17 on an ice coffee from Yura (which is mainly ice and leftover coffee served in a plastic cup which will take a hundred years to decompose) and a $2 farmcake for breakfast, if I wanted to do so. When I lived this way I spent much more money on food and for what? To add to Global Warming? To make Yura richer?

When someone tells me that local food is expensive I laugh because I honestly believe I am getting the best deal in town with my diet. Not only am I saving money but I have also never felt better physically. My increased walking and healthier diet have had a fantastic toll on my physical well-being.

Most farmers now accept food stamps, which levels the playing field, allowing local healthy food choices to become a necessity not just a luxary for the wealthy.

I honestly believe that anyone can go green by lowering their carbon emissions, you just have to take it one step at a time.

Please let me know of any green actions you have made recently!

XOXOX Green Teen