Is it better to buy local meat or vegetarian subsitutes from who knows where?

Local wrapped in plastic or non-plastic?

and what’s right and what works isn’t always the same. I would love to be a vegetarian, but the others in my family would not go for it. I could go vegetarian myself, but that would mean extra meal planning, shopping and cooking, not to mention extra dishes and so on. So I concede to eat meat and just try to eat more veggies than actual meat.

Hmmm… I think I have some more reading to do. You make a good point. I suppose bying local is a choice influenced heavily by emotion, and I agree that where we live, producing cucumbers during the winter may well be polluting and most definately is very energy-consuming.

Dang. If only these things were simpler. I find it frustrating how difficult it sometimes is to make the “right” choice…

I have been busy creating, but soon, I’ll get back to this topic, running a summary of all the actions you guys have listed in the comments.

@Lynoure: Sounds good! I think I need to start visiting Ruohonjuuri more often as well.

BTW, it took me a long time to get up to speed but I ended up reading and loving Axiomatic. Would you like to get the book back? :)

@Antti: I’m not sure if buying local really is always the best thing to do…

It’s exactly the cucumber stuff that makes me wonder. Shipping goods from abroad makes sense if producing them locally creates more waste / pollution than producing them abroad + transportation.

I’ve read quite convincing articles telling that the biggest pollution in transportation doesn’t actually happen when transporting stuff from one country to another (by boat) but when transporting the stuff in trucks, inside the country – transporting strawberries or cucumbers from places like Suonenjoki all the way to Helsinki. (This pollution naturally happens for both local and non-local products)

I’m under the impression that a big part of the “buy local” talk is the local farmers trying to manipulate us into buying their products…

What do you think about this?

Locally produced stuff (veggies and fruit for example) seem to be a bit less packages also, which is great.

I get an “ugh, plastic” season now and then, too.

The bread thing makes sense.

What amazes is me is that most people don’t actually think about these things. They don’t educate themselves. I know people are busy, but … I dunno.

I like the idea of insanely interested. As I can describe myself as such. I love writing. I love crocheting. I love sewing. I love … you get the point. I guess it can be summed up as “I love creating”.

I had never heard of the Fake Plastic Fish blog before, which is a shame because it seems like such a huge resource in living a more sustainable life!

Thanks for the tips and the link! I’ll make sure to promote the idea as much as I can, and follow the advice myself.

About bread… I’ve been baking most of my bread myself, then freezing it using old plastic bags that I collected from previously buying bread from the store. The downside there is that the plastic bags they use are not that good and after a few rounds, you’ll need a new one.

Maybe it would make sense to get some really good plastic container and then hold on to it. I mean, if you don’t throw it to waste and get a new one every year, or even more often than that, it’s not nearly as bad as bringing new bagged breads home every day…right? :)

Ideas:
Get small clothe bags, you can make your own or there are many places to buy them. Use for produce and shop bulk stores and use them there.
Take reusable container for deli meats and ask them to put them in. They will look at you funny, but once you do it a few times you won’t feel wierd.
Take your own cloth bags.
Laundry detergent. Make your own, buy it in a box, or get soap nuts (though as far as I can tell these only come in plastic containers).
Shop farmer’s markets/local if you can. Produce is less likely to packaged in plastic. Or grow your own (seasonal however). Buying food in season also reduces the plastic.
Buy local non-plastic foods and freeze them/can.
Don’t buy produce and other items in plastic wrap. Find alternatives, and just say NO.

I have no alternatives for cheese, bread (even if you make your own you have to store it in plastic, though you could get a larger reusable plastic box), grapes, meat, and potatoes.

@Satu: How does she do it?? That’s awesome!

My mother is a master recycler. They have 10 kids living in the household and she manages to only have 1 garbage bag per week going out from the kitchen.