Recipes of the week
See here for this week’s recipes and corresponding groceries, and you can revisit all recipes from the past month here.
If you’re making them this week, can you tag me on Instagram?
Recipe #1 - Quinoa, Sweet Potato, Wasabi
Recipe via Ima Cantine
Recipe #2 - Lentil’s Shepards Pie
Recipe via Hellofresh
Recipe via Rutabago
Climate News
‘Ocean on fire’: Flames erupt in Gulf of Mexico after gas pipeline ruptures
You may have seen the pictures already. The ocean is on fire, but EVERYTHING IS OK, according to the oil company that caused the accident. They didn’t provide any explanation for what was burning on the water’s surface, but said that the “incident didn’t generate any spill”.
How a young activist is helping Pope Francis battle in climate change (NY Times)
Molly Burhans wants the Catholic Church to put its assets—which include farms, forests, oil wells, and millions of acres of land—to better use. But, first, she has to map them.
French court orders government to act on climate in next nine months (The Guardian)
France’s top administrative court has ordered the government to take “all necessary additional steps” within the next nine months to enable it to reach its climate targets or face possible sanctions. The Council of State said that France was not on track to meet its goal of achieving a 40% cut in emissions from 1990 levels by 2030. There is no possibility of appeal for the government.
World’s largest ever four day week trial in Iceland ‘overwhelming success’ (The independant)
This is important for climate because studies have shown that a 4 day work week could significantly reduce a country’s emissions - 20% for the UK, for example.
📅 Events
Naidoc Week
Celebrations for Naidoc Week (National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee) are held July 4-11. This year’s theme is “Heal Country” - and calls for stronger measures to recognise, protect, and maintain all aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and heritage. More info and events here.
Climate Justice and First Nations Justice are inextricably linked. More info here about why First Nations solutions must be front and centre in Australia’s response to climate change.
In other parts of the world, indigenous groups are fighting against solutions to the climate crisis that uses the kind of thinking that produced the climate crisis in the first place.
Plastic-Free July
Plastic-free July is back ! From humble beginnings in 2011, it became a global movement to help millions of people be part of the solution to plastics pollution.
First things first:
I want to acknowledge that a minimal waste lifestyle in our society is a privilege. Not everyone has easy access to alternative, waste-free food and everyday items. So if, like myself, you do, you are inherently privileged and I encourage you to use that privilege.
With more and people becoming aware of the movement (thanks social media), many brands have started capitalising on the “trend” and marketing plastic-free products just for the occasion. In a way, this is a good thing as it helps with awareness, but let’s not lose sight of the original spirit and guiding principles of plastic-free July: “use what you have first” before replacing items with eco-friendly alternatives.
I don’t want to flood you with all the facts about plastic pollution, but here are just a few:
Only 9% of all plastic waste ever produced has been recycled. We burnt about 12%, while the rest — 79% — has accumulated in landfills, dumps or the natural environment. Plastic does not decompose. It piles up. Everywhere.
We have nine gigatons of plastic on the planet, compared with four gigatons of animals
We are ingesting the equivalent of one credit card per week into our bodies because of micro-plastics.
In Australia, most states have committed to ban single-use plastics, with different timelines for different types of plastics, as highlighted here:
Source: Marineconservation.org.au
Where to start?
If you want to reduce your “plastic footprint”, start by paying attention to the amount of plastic in your life. In your house, when you go grocery shopping, when you order takeaway food, etc. Make a mental list of all that plastic and think about the easiest ones you can tackle first, ie the ones that don’t require that much effort.
My recommendation for your number 1 target: Takeaway items and the top 4 - bottles, bags, cups and straws.
These are really easy to give up, because there are readily available alternatives for them. Invest in a really good reusable bottle and cup (maybe 2, for home and work for example), put a few reusable bags in your car (if you drive for grocery shopping).
Don’t stress yourself out if you forget your cup once - but do try to make the reusable option your norm. It doesn’t take long for a new habits to stick, and it’s all about feeling good about them.
“We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly - we need millions doing it imperfectly”. Anne Marie Bonneau, Zero Waste Chef
Once a plastic swap has become your norm, and you’ve integrated it to your daily routine, it’s time to move on to the next one.
I find it extremely rewarding when I manage to find ways to evade the omnipresence of plastic in my life. Sometimes it’s easy:
The same shop happens to have a section with avocados and apples not wrapped in plastic. Easy!
Sometimes, it’s a matter of compromise:
I can choose other fruits than those strawberries and blueberries.
And sometimes, it’s more tricky:
Almost all dairy products come in plastic packaging. Some yoghurt come in glass packaging, but that’s not a perfect solution because glass requires lots of natural resources (sand) and energy to produce and recycle.
My thought process when going grocery shopping goes something like this:
Can I find it without plastic?
Can I find a good enough alternative without plastic?
Can I make it myself?
Do I really need this?
I’m compiling all my plastic swaps on my favourite tool Notion. They are categorised by “level”, “type” and come with shopping recommendations. Hope it’s useful.
And finally, if you’re wondering if giving up plastic still matters:
Bonus: My zero-waste breakfast
Here is the recipe for my go-to breakfast for champions: Banana & peanut butter Overnight Oats
I’m currently training for an ironman, so I’m having breakkie at 5am most days before going out for a bike ride, a run or a swim. What I love about this breakfast is that I can make it in just 5 minutes the night before, and heat it up in the morning. It’s delicious, and baby loves it too. Win.
It’s zero waste because I can get all ingredients from the bulk store (oats, peanut butter, chia seeds, cinnamon) or easily find them in a regular store without plastic (bananas, maple syrup).
I also make my own oat milk, it’s easy and quick, I will share the recipe soon.