Sustainable ideas for everyone

Green Homeslide 1

Bits & Pieces

by Marina de Boer

openslide 2

This is meant as a scrap book of bits and

pieces that I have been trying to formulate an

opinion on over the last...10 years?

I like things that make sense.

I can´t stand things that don´t.

I love preparing and eating delicious healthy

food, enjoying nature and sharing that with

family and good friends.

I enjoy beautiful things and sharing

them with others.

I am optimistic that we are capable of the

impossible with the right frame of mind.

I am passionate about sharing all this with

our children.

"Be who you are and

say what you want

because those

who matter, don´t mind,

and those who mind,

don´t matter"

slide 3Comfort-zone vs innovationI often wonder what holds people back when it comes to making a paradigm shift. Of course change is always hard and nothing is more comfortable than keeping things the way they are. What inspires us most is the realisation that after decades of getting nice and comfortable in the western world and considering our job done -and getting blassé in the process-things are now entirely different. Our children are faced with the mission of redesigning our world as we know it and we are here to inspire them.We feel really excited to be around during these times of transition when all our theories and opinions are re-evaluated, re-analyzed and re-discovered and common sense is our most important tool.Marinaslide 4

"Not on the Label"

Felicity Lawrence

Michael Pollan

"vote with your fork"

"To light a single candle is

better than cursing the dark"

slide 5Blissful IgnoranceThere comes a time when living in blissful ignorance is no longer an option.For me it was a process that stewed for about 10 years and then got stir fried when our children started making choices on what they wanted to eat (preferably something that came with a sticker collection!).It was the sudden shocking realization that there is in fact nobody or nothing looking out for our well being. Corporations are deciding what we eat and where we buy it and their priority is making profit. We have come to depend on processed food that is routinely adulterated (Felicity Lawrence-Not on the Label).No matter what we do and where we live we all have the power to vote with our fork as Michael Pollan puts it. The choices we make as consumers are powerful because we make them every time we spend money. Think about it.....I have started going to the (organic) market and besides buying baskets full of fresh, local & seasonal products directly from the farmers and feeling good about it; the whole experience of going shopping is a different one. It´s a happy, respectful and social event. Needless to say it can only bring positive vibes to the dish you end up preparing. No more multi colored, fluorescent lights and unbearable background music and bruised ankles caused by impatient shoppers. Not to mention all the wasteful packaging and the complete lack of realization what season we´re in. Everything is available all the time from all over the world.I remember I once thought that was great.Such blissful ignorance.Marinaslide 6

Have you seen?

...these interesting links

"Manufactured demand" pushes what we don´t need

and destroys what we need most...

see "The story of Stuff"

The best way to avoid labeling confusion is to buy

food rather than "edible foodlike substances" to

quote Michael Pollan

"An approaching energy crisis will affect what we

eat, where it comes from and even the alarming

question of whether there will be be enough food to

keep us fed..." see "A Farm for the Future"

That in spite of higher disposable incomeconsumers spent less than 10% on food...slide 7

"Gardens for rent" ...(click for story)

Malaga Alternativa...

La Chispa review

"A Farm for the Future"

Feel free to send me any

comments or bright ideas...

slide 8

Did you know...?

...That seeds are the source of all food. Whoever owns the seeds, owns the food. The process of genetic engineering allows companies, such as Monsanto (http://www.monsanto.com/), to claim patent rights over seeds. Ninety percent of all GE seeds planted in the world are patented by Monsanto and hence controlled by them. How comfortable does this make you feel?Monsanto prohibits replanting seeds produced from the seeds farmers buy from them thus dictating what farmers grow and what people can eat.