Lou Reed, Billy Joel, and Rita the boxer.

As I write this, Maggie is lying next to me, very upset that I won't continue to pet her while she falls asleep. Have I mentioned how much I love my dog? We had quite a day. But I didn't get on the computer to talk about my dog, and the unconditional love that lies therein.

I had a beautiful, dare I say perfect, day? I made choices for my health over my desire, and that is a habit I am looking to make constant.

The morning was busy, I opened at work, and saw a familiar face that I still wonder why is so unfamiliar now, and how it came to be that way. I care for someone in a human way, no more, and want them to be happy... I know I know... this is pretty standard stuff, but I wonder how a friendship can escape in to a reborn atmosphere of strangers. How do we go back to that. Well, we did, and so it is... I wish all the blessings in the world for him.

I had a fun time at work, got my ass handed to me a little bit, but I would prefer that over crickets any day. I had myself an amazing lunch, protein and vitamin packed, colorful and clean, just how I like em. Came home, took Mags for our evening walk down to Kellogg. This is where it got journal-worthy.

As I was rocking out on my Ipod, to some very jammable Amy Winehouse, a nice woman drove by with a dog in the passenger seat... "Have you seen a medium sized black dog without a collar?" she asked. I went on to find out she was missing "Shady", enter character one. Shady lives on 68th and Long, and decided to go for a solo adventure. She drove on looking, and I promised to keep an eye out. This is where my music was put on the backburner, and Shady was my new priority. Maggie Mae and I got to Kellogg and she did her standard program as I tried different dog calls for my new MIA pooch. I decided tonight that even thought it was dark, and that I usually stay in the "kinda" well lit areas, (as well as it can be on SE Powell and surrounding)... But tonight, I was on a mission. I walked head strong right through that creepy as hell alley in between the gymnasium and school building--ready for anything. I convinced myself that if I did not do this that I would regret it for the rest of my life (by the way, if you ever really want to do something but are too scared, this works really really well... the thought that you will regret it for the rest of your life, makes it so much easier to pull the trigger). So I pulled out my little pocket knife and made it happen. I did a little victory dance on the other side, and checked that off my list of things to probably not make a habit of.

I stopped every person on the street the whole way home, and told them of the search that was happening in the area, they agreed to keep an eye out. I met a nice young couple playing fetch with their two boxers in a parking lot. Rita the black and white boxer, took quite a liking to Maggie. So the rest of the way home I continued to call for Shady. One block from home, a med/large white dog without a collar comes across the street. Now this guy looked pretty beat up, and was not super friendly as Shady's mom promised that Shady as. So I was at a predicament. Is this Shady? Do I save him? Did hear black, but she said white? Oh shit, what do I do now.... Oh double shit, caucasian Shady is running in to the street... oh shit, he almost gets smashed by a bus. Oh triple shit, I really gotta pee, and I'm a block from home, and I can't save replacement Shady when I have Maggie on the leash, because new Shady no likey Maggie, or me.

Instant reaction: Run like hell home, drop off Mags, pee like you're on the side of the road, (wash hands), grab leash, keys, run like hell back to Shady Sr. The next forty five minutes was me, following around my new friend, with the occasional warning bark from him telling me to follow a little further behind. It seemed as though he was heading towards original Shady's home address, so I thought I was on the right track.. The problem was, white slim shady did not want my help, and he was not happy with my following program. He attempted to jump in to traffic a few more times which is when I convinced myself that I had to help him, otherwise I would regret it for the rest of my life (by the way, in this situation, not such a good idea, because then when you have to give up, or call animal control, you wont' be able to sleep)...
I didn't call the animal fuzz, instead I discussed with this crazy old man on the street and he agreed that Shades did not want help, and he was fine on his own, and that he is white, so at least people can see him in the street. That made me feel better, so I walked home, feeling half like a jackass, and half like a nutjob.

So I get home, and take one of the best naps of my life, I'm pretty sure I didn't even take off my gloves or hat, and had Gladiator playing on my laptop...

Jules gets home, says everyone's going cosmic bowling at hollywood later... I wake up later, and have to make this choice... Go to gym, go play... hmm... I've been so good lately, I do want to bowl.. that's exercise, but then I would want some beers, or white russians, you're out of your element donny. So I compromise... I go to the gym at eleven, but I stay away from the machines, and hit the pool, the sauna, and the hot tub... I love how things come together, synchronicity happening all around... I get to the gym and Gladiator is playing on the tv in the locker room, right where I had left off, I shit you not... And mine was a dvd... random. I do some laps, then on to the sauna, where I met a really nice woman from Eugene. She's interested in getting involved more here in Portland, and has history with the cooperative business and living situations, so we exchanged information about the coop, farm, and Kellogg garden. Anyway, it was a really nice conversation, and I felt like five million dollars after swimming and sweating like whore in church. I love saunas, I want one in my backyard tomorrow.

Not really sure what all this means, but my soundtrack to the gym and back was some extremely satisfying Billy Joel, sometimes you just have to go there you know? That piano will make you start thinking, and save all the memories you've made in the last twenty four hours... no matter how insignificant they may seem.

And tomorrow on to bloody mary's with Chocolate pants at Mother's... Mmmm.
I love me some breakfast.
Virg

Street Roots Article: Kellogg Community Garden

SE Neighborhood Communities vs. Portland Public Schools
The Innovation and Proposition of a Community Garden in the abandoned Kellogg Middle School campus.


The food industry, “big food”, “big tobacco”, the dairy industry, the meat industry, industrial production versus the organic crusade—these are common terms today. Leave it to Portland to represent as one of the top organic and sustainable cities in the United States. We should be so proud; we are doing a great job, aren’t we? From the looks of a quick google search, Portland gives the glimpse of a green utopia, hand-in-hand with a new generation of driven hipsters ready to save the world and hold one another around a campfire made of recycled wood materials.

We also come up as number one on the vegetarian websites. We are even saving the animals, how perfect. My cynical approach is not to be mistaken for a lack of appreciation for my sharing and caring metropolitan. On the contrary, I’m sitting around that very campfire, with my pink fedora, used 501’s, and hemp chap stick that I purchased at my local food cooperative. I’m more than onboard with that whole program. I celebrate the entire collection of old-fashioned community values, and respect for locality and reduction of carbon footprints.

How is it though, that a city with such props and award winning reputations continues to struggle in the contribution and support of our low-income, and homeless populations? We are making efforts to take care of one another, as long as that “other” has a matching Subaru and exotic vegetable garden in their front yard.

We so smoothly disregard this group of Portlandians because of their obvious difference in lifestyle and values. Somehow we associate the homeless as one population, one race, one personality, one history, one story, internationally contingent. They don’t make the cut for our environmental rehabilitation priorities.

First and foremost, we have placed organic foods as the gateway to saving the world, and given it credit for helping to diminish our climbing obesity statistics. Enter Whole Foods stage left, please stock your shelves so obnoxiously with fancy produce and alien floral arrangements shipped from the other side of the world; now we’re really getting somewhere. Charge fourteen dollars per lemon to cover the price of that transportation, just tell people they are saving the rainforests by purchasing the lemon, it will all smooth over… at least in Forest Heights.

Directly after dropping a few benjamin’s on enough food for the first half of the work week, go ahead and walk straight out the door, past the Street Roots Vendor, and deny him your dollar for a piece of material actually worth your time, actually contributing directly to the well-being of a community member.

I’ve been that Whole Foods patron, many a time, it’s so easy to get sucked in to the “organic” and “local” jab. It’s better than hitting up your local McDeaths, but, there’s something else here worth acknowledging, something that we’re forgetting as a friendly and natural congregation of north westerners. We forgot about our own.

We’ve got family trying to get ahead right here in our city, next door, and we have misplaced the compassion for helping one another with a new pride jacket, an ignorant coat of assumptions leads us right past those working, working to get in to a home and consistent income situation, and takes us right in to our new favorite happy-hour of choice destination.

Hear me out, I’m still directly speaking as a hypocrite, just ask my new banana yellow skull and cross-bones water bottle I got for my road bike, it only set me back nineteen bucks. But let’s break this up a bit. We can’t diminish the whole industrial facility, or even get it out of Portland for that matter, there would be a stream of angry, and extremely tan females driving ridiculously large SUVs even more recklessly from the West Hills straight towards Northeast Portland on last Thursday, determined to take revenge upon those damn hippies.

But what we can do is uncover alternative options. We can incorporate the homeless and struggling populations in to our save the world adventures. It’s called a community garden. We have a lot of them in Portland. I’m sure you’re familiar with the concept.

Wouldn’t a community garden be essentially a pretty textbook fit for someone living without shelter, needing access to food, water… and drum roll please… work? Do these people even want to help in a community agriculture atmosphere you ask? If they do, I’m sure they’ll show up, maybe they just need an open invitation, and some slack from our ever so efficient city officials.


Operation Kellogg Community Garden: Phase 1

Here she is, the maiden voyage, kind of. There are and have been other community gardens in Portland, even garden’s built in to school campuses. However, this has a slightly new twist. This garden is open to everyone. Yes Sir?.. What about liability, security, trust factors? Sit down and take five to listen. We’re going to make this work. How hard is to fathom a place where everyone is welcome? If you do not feel safe with your neighbors unless they are receiving a steady paycheck, then you are more than welcome to hold my hand through the harvesting and growth of our little Kellogg plot. Or you could introduce yourself, and get to know why it is that they don’t have that paycheck.

Yes there will be obstacles, yes. It will be a labyrinth of agreements and liabilities around the regulations of the garden. I can’t really find anything in there that’s a good enough reason not to see it come to fruition. Everyone in the Northwest loves a challenge, that is why we live here (that and the huckleberries). I think that all of the American Gladiator episodes should be a Colorado native up against someone from the Northwest. And throw in someone from California as a wildcard.

So here is where we get our hands dirty. If you have come thus far, I will direct you to the homepage for the Kellogg Middle School Community Garden Project. We are in the works, we are open to suggestions, we want your input. Have a different campus/location in mind? Perhaps one of the eleven Portland Public Schools that was closed in the last year from budget loss—that is just sitting there, beautiful, empty, and bare, just like much of the new Pearl District residents and Wieden Kennedy employees?

Then come and dig in. We’re waiting.
http://commgardens.meetup.com/63/





THE FOLLOWING WAS TAKEN FROM WIKIPEDIA.COM...

Kellogg MS, Arleta, Atkinson, Creston, Woodstock
Superintendent Phillips is proposing to close Kellogg Middle School after one more school year due to declining enrollment and the potential of improving student achievement through K-8 schools in the neighborhood area.
Arleta and Creston elementary schools would transition to become a K-8 school, adding one grade level a year, starting with sixth grade in fall 2006.
Kellogg Middle School would serve only seventh- and eighth-grade students in 2006-07. In 2007-08, the remaining eighth-grade students would be assigned to Hosford Middle School, at 2303 SE 28th Place. The Kellogg building would close in fall 2007.
Atkinson Elementary students now are split between Mt. Tabor and Kellogg middle schools. Under this proposal, all neighborhood program students would be assigned to Mt. Tabor for sixth grade, starting in fall 2006. (Language immersion program students continue to Hosford.) Woodstock Elementary neighborhood program students, now assigned to Kellogg, would be assigned to attend Hosford (Woodstock language immersion students already feed into Hosford). Sellwood Middle School, Duniway, Grout, Lewis, Llewellyn elementary schools and Winterhaven K-8
Superintendent Phillips is asking the community to develop a proposal around schools located in and around the Sellwood-Moreland neighborhoods, including four elementary schools, Sellwood Middle School and Winterhaven, a focus option K-8 school.
The Superintendent wants to spur a community discussion of how to create strong schools in the area, each with enough students and teachers to support a strong curriculum. Another goal is for the community to develop a plan to consolidate programs into five of the six currently operating buildings (several of the current school buildings would require significant and expensive upgrades to keep operating into the future).
Options could include maintaining the current K-5 and middle school configuration but redrawing boundaries to move from four elementary schools to three. The community may also explore the option of transitioning some schools to a K-8 model. The school district’s area director and school principals will work with the school communities (including the school Site Councils and PTAs) and a community-based facilitator to develop a proposal to the Superintendent in the fall of 2006. Superintendent Phillips will then forward her recommendations to the School Board for a vote, with implementation of the plan to start in fall 2007.

From wikipedia.com

Click here to check out
The Portland Community Gardens Meetup Group!

social resonsibility

Hello friends,
You should all check out "Touching the Void", it is a book by Joe Simpson, and it was also
made in to a movie. They are both fantastic, an absolutely incredible survival story. It is
amazing what we are capable of when put in to a life and death situation.

Also, I have to mention my favorite book in the whole world "The Giving Tree", by Shel
Silverstein... I know we've all read it, but every time you go back and read it, it has a new
meaning in our current lives.

Everyone knows someone, or many
people who are angry at what is happening in our world. They choose to focus on the
negatives and add to the negative energy that is already there, by providing how much
they dislike that very thing. It's just like what Mother Theresa said about not going to
anti-war rallies... Instead, she said she to give her a pro-peace rally, and she would be
there. We already know that there are situations and people in this world that are
causing pain and destruction in many forms, we can mostly all attest and agree that
things like abuse, waste, pollution, war, social injustices, racism, sexism, and so on and
so forth do not contribute to the well being of eachother or our planet. However, to emit
negative energy about these issues is contributing to their power, and taking away from
our own.

I wonder how exactly we access the piece of our minds that acknowledges these
hardships and struggles, and not let it take us down. How do we go direclty in to survival
and proactive mode? It seems with many issues, that there is no hope, that we have
gone too far, and to give all of our efforts to such a thing is pointless. I wonder if we can
turn around what has become of industry and excess. We have so many commodities
and so much convenience and overproduction of just about everything here in the states,
that it is hard to imagine all the big box companies going out of business, all of the fast
food joints handing over the keys to local farms and nutritional/recyclable food and
products.... there I go on a rampage. The point being that how can it be flipped? It's too
big, so to complain about it, and "grieve" as the author said in Mountain Music, seems
fair.

I think that Social Responsibility maybe leads to the idea that we have a responsibility to
whatever we can personally aid, or however we can effect change, sans matter of size.
If we break down all the "big" issues, such as industrial production, and political
disasters, there are smaller catagories underneath. It's a breakdown and root system
that can be more easily accessed if we just take a hold at the bottom and chew on what
we can digest. It's like building untangling fishing wire, if you start at the end and follow
it up slowly, taking care of each little pain of a knot, eventually, you'll get closer to the
big knot... plus maybe by then, someone will come along and give you a hand.

This story really ties in to "the secret", I watched it again yesterday late at night, and I
realize I have to continue to remind myself to switch my thoughts from hopeless to
hopeful. It only takes a moment, but once I do, it's as if everything around me is more
supportive and you even start to see hope in things that have nothing to do with what
you've been worrying about. Like two beautiful rainbows downtown today after the rain,
wasn't it beautiful!!!!?

For those who read so far, thanks for letting me wander as I often do, and thanks for
listening!

tunnel vision

What does this kind of tunnel vision say about our society? Are we too pre-occupied to
open up and look around us to see where and how we can help? Yes, it's interesting isn't
it. I was driving home from work this weekend, and after turning off the stereo (it had
just started raining, and I wanted to listen to it)... I realized as I drove by all the people
walking on the streets late at night, that each one of those people was someone that I
missed interating with, because we were in different zones. I was doing focused on my
driving and ultimately getting home to bed. But they were walking through the beautiful
rain and talking to eachother. It is the same with cell phones and internet, it has cut off
a lot of alternate and old fashioned modes of communication. We do not talk to
eachother anymore, is there any way to avoid this? It's strange that just less than a
century ago it wasn't like that at all. All of this new tehnology and lifestyles of
accessibilty have come to be in the last few generations.

I wanted to mention a book that really ties in to all of this and the question that Heather
gave us. The book is called "Awareness" by Anthony De Mello. Also, I wanted to
mention the movie or the book, "The Secret". The more positive energy we put out
there, the more it moves around and affects others. I think there is a lot to be said for
positive and negative, doers and don'ters, and pesamists and optimists. You can choose
whether to smile at strangers, or make small efforts, and contribute to the better good,
even if it is in very small doses. I think that we are shaped and molded to be scared,
nervous, suspicious, and blinded in the ways that we grow up, but if we take the surface
off of our first impressions of the rest of the world, we can relate to everthing a lot
easier.

For myself, I wonder if I am doing these small acts of kindness for the right/wrong
reason. When I really think about it, I am helping others, whether it be just a common
courtesy, being polite in conversation, or helping them outside with their groceries, no
matter what size it is, I am ultimately doing it to feel better about myself. Is that selfish?
Anthony De Mello talks about just this in his book, it's really incredible. I'm going to have
to read it again. I think that's about it for now, what I'm really trying to get at is that we
just have to decide and make a choice to step outside the mold, even if it goes against
our upbringing or our standard or norm, we choose to pay it forward, there it is. One by
one, I think that it could have a domino effect, and eventually we all will be looking out
for eachother....

"The things that you are aware of, you are in control of... The things that you are not
aware of, control you". ~Anthongy De Mello

Thanks for Listening.
Virginia

Reflection

It seems so soon to be writing a final reflection for this course.
Pedro, thank you so very much for teaching this capstone. This is by far the best class I have ever taken. And I have over 240 credits, or something along those lines. So, thank you, you were a fantastic professor, I would love to take other classes from you, and will recommend your courses to others I know.

I came to this class very much eager and anxious to get underneath what goes on at the cooperative. I wanted to learn about it, because it always felt good being there, and it made me curious, and I received more from the class than I ever thought I would.

I'm very grateful for my group members, who all worked hard independently and together to create a project that we all cared about, and hoped would benefit People's. Each member really put forth so much effort out of their personal lives and from other courses to dedicate to this project. I believe it's because they felt an appreciation for the farmers that we visited and what they are doing directly for our community, environment, People's; and indirectly, for us.

This class is just one more stamp on my path of "what am I doing to do?", and it has brought me many things that I will take with me and continue to use my entire life. I could even go as far as to say, because of the opportunities in this class, I may have found some new outlets and entire new life goals. Around New Years I made the choice to move to a sustainable community in April of 2o08. I'm sticking to that plan for now, but I have learned a lot about community living, farming, and sustainability just from the personal testimonies of the farmers we visited. I communicate with these farmers now in efforts to learn more, and make choices that will create a stronger and more educated woman to place in to a completely sustainable life role. I'll be honest, I felt like a tough girl that had it all nailed down when we started the class, and it didn't take long to realize what a rookie I was! It will be a long, difficult, and incredibly fascinating journey, and I leave myself without too many expectations, because I have also learned from these farmers, and these workers that the lifestyle they support is not upheld by the government, wherein many struggle through their whole life to make a living by growing safe food for people and an environment they care about.

I think I will keep my blog alive, just for those wandering thoughts that may come about while I'm on the computer, with that my reflections will continue, and I can learn from my changes in attitude, growth, and naivety. Thank you again, take care... I'll leave with my favorite Irish Blessing.

"May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and the rains fall soft upon your fields,
and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of his hand."

Assignment 4; A modified executive summary

Create a proposal for People's Food Cooperative, identifying...

1. A problem area related to a wider food politics or food industry context.

My group talked about various problems relating to food politics and the food industry. We came up with a few different fairly broad topics. I'll just refer to it as "Industrial Organic". Agribusiness, food miles, industrial ownership, and the sporadic root and branch system that has developed this system, are causing an uprising and confusion among the vast majority of our population, the consumers of the food, us, we who buy the food that is unpackaged in the department store, that is unboxed in the warehouse of that store, that is shipped in on a large truck from a larger warehouse, from a larger farm, which uses even more non-renewable resources, which puts us even farther in to the hole we are continuously digging.

2. What is the position of a food coop like People's in the expanding natural food industry and in local markets?

I believe that People's position can be found in their core values. Their commitment to community, their passion for healthy food and healthy people, and the idea of sharing and growing, supporting, and embracing the growth that they experience through the expansion of knowledge, education, redevelopment, and retracing the roots and original ideas and traditions behind healthy people, families, places, and more importantly, entrusting and catering towards the futures of themselves and those people that they can and will reach through this education.

This position allows them a warm, soft, healthy, and absolutely solid place within this strong web of community arms they have helped weave. Without that idea of community and group ownership People's coop may not have the strong root system that it has now--and will exponentially get stronger and thicker as more members join. The cooperative business has recently developed in to a more well known, appreciated, and visited establishment recently, and so with this new popularity, I'm sure it comes along with a sense of confidence and excitement within the members and staff. Without the support and continuous growth of sales and members, I suppose People's may have a different stance of what is happening with the rest of the world and the industrial organic food industry. However, with the strong feedback and increase in consumers within the cooperative, there most likely is a larger sense of hope, patience, and passion committed towards not allowing that kind of growth and education to slow or stop.

With this comes the want and need, and perhaps even obligation?? As members and experienced farmers, political activists, environmental experts, and perhaps even neighbors to allow any kind of possible room and opportunity for this growth to transform in to an open-ended business plan. People's should continue to develop and teach the ideas of community farming, purchasing from local farms, and "grow(ing) your own".

3. A research strategy for investigating the problem you have identified.

My Methodology: How would I study or research the epidemic of industrial and/or industrial organic farming? I would come full circle, and have to evaluate who those are that are experiencing both ends of the food cycles. For example, who is man #1 at the industrial side? At the very top of the economic and the demographic scale. Who "owns" these farms? Can we interview one person or even a handful who are at the very end of that side? Man #2 is going to be our local organic farmer, or perhaps even the consumer who wants to be completely self sustained, and is trying to get around all of the industry plugs.

For some people, man #1 may be the President of the United States, for some, it may be the CEO of McDonald's, or maybe it's Big Food in general. But it would be beneficial to identify why these two parties, man #1, and man #2 are not or can not level our or find a happy medium. I believe that this is really what is stopping our nation, and our planet from identifying with one another, or reversing our destructive patterns. We are in it for ourselves, and we do not identify, relate, or accept that there are others like us on the other side of our chain being directly hit with the repercussions.

b: What would I expect to find from my theories?
I would expect to find a very extentive disconnect between #1 and #2. I would expect there to be a loss of understanding and inability to meet on middle grounds between the two dynamics. I would hope to find that maybe there was a consensus or a national agreement we could find between those who support the industrial business strategy as well as the cooperative business strategy. And a consensus and support of the values of the cooperative over the industrial. I believe that there is an instinctual behavior and passion in all of us to adhere to and desire good, healthy food, that inherintly benefits all those who grow it, move it, make it, and eat it. There is a simple formula underneath the processing of food that goes back to tradition, family and community. Unfortunately it has just become overrun with greed and an economy that has evolved in to overproduction and extreme overconsumption. We all know it would take more than just two sides coming to an agreement in order to smoothly change the system over time. Within lets say a ten year plan, there would be the necessary personal changes and life choices within the consumer population. It is up to those who support and feed the industrial food systems to in just the same way boycott and cut off it's life source.

c: How would I present or communicat my findings? I suppose through studies, interviews, and large surveys among every type of consumer. I would also involve the industrial strategies and farming advice from countries that have succeeded in nation wide community food sources and cooperatives--countries that have gone back, or maybe even never left the traditions of growing your own. You would have to bring in the advice and personal testimonies of those up high in the corporate world and fast food industry, as well as those who have made their millions off of industrial farming. What would I have to do to make you change your ways of give up your income source in leau of something entirely different that may or may not bring in the money of your current situation? I would ask them, I would also ask them, do you have faith that we can turn it around? Are you willing to help? What would convince you to do so? Exactly, tell me exactly, what would convince you? And the list begins...

4. How will I, personally, focus my time and energy on this inquiry? I'm learning, I take every day one at a time, and I learn something new every day. I try and accept the things I cannot change, and learn from my mistakes (I don't really even like to use that word, they're all just choices, with different outcomes). However, I am changing the ways of my everyday life, daily. Baby steps, I will say again, I'm taking very small steps, in doses that I can swallow and follow without faltering, so as to not completely pressure myself in to a life that I'm not educated enough for. So, education first... I work in the garden, I'm working on the farm, I learn from others around me who are experienced and can teach me the tools I need to be my ultimate root system in the future. I am learning to grow and eat my own food. I would like eat nothing else but food that I have helped grow, or that I know was grown with the care I would put in my own food. I view my everyday choices and my life goals and plans with a new hesitation... "is this good for my community, will I be wasting excessively? Will I be wasting at all?" I'm going to leave my job, this is one of the areas that I'm baby stepping my way out of, I believe that I am supporting the industrial food industry by working at a restaurant that does not have values in serving good food. Instead, it is about the quantity of food they can push out, as fast as they can push it. Our meat selections are coming from who knows where, but according to my superiors, it's definitely not free range, and it's definitly not local. That's enough for me, I can't justify working there as easily as I used to. So, I have to choose the things that I can change, help grow, and be passionate about; and perhaps I just have to leave the things and the places that I can not change, besides cutting of my life source from it. I am, or will be, one less consumer and one less body working for the corporation.

5. How does my inquiry relate to the four University Studies Goals?
Critical Thinking, Human Experience, Ethics, and Communication.

First off, I have so much to work on. I thought I was a complete "Earth Muffin" before I started this course. Turns out, I'm far from it. I used to shop at whole foods daily, 70 percent of my housemate's and I's groceries were purchase from trader joes, and I still drive my car a few times a week. Among many other things. I am nowhere near as environmentally sound and clean as I had imagined, and the days of tooting my own horn have come to a screeching halt. But I will say that the critical thinking that went about through our readings, through our classes and within conversations and visits with the local farmers brought about so much internal investigation. I have done intense inventories in to my life, my body, and my choices therein.

I think this is where the Human Experience University Studies Goal comes in. I've realized that it is very difficult to pursuade or evaluate the choices of others around you without offending or invading their personal space. People take their paths around food and health as an emotional compartment not to be interrupted. To judge or expose those choices as anything other than acceptable creates tension in places that I don't yet feel comfortable with. Instead, I've turned my focus completely inwards to my own decisions, that is where I can do the best work.

My own Ethics, and my own values are those that I have assigned to my life and no one elses. Food is very much an ethical issue as it is a health issue. Even the family that raised me has developed alternative ethics and values around their food choices. Therefore, I have re-established in a way, a new set of ethics within my beliefs that I hadn't realized was there.

The Communication aspect of the Goals is essentially a gateway to education and sharing. Educating people like me on the larger aspects of the food industry, such as how the political side is run, and where the government can be held responsible, is essential to embracing the larger picture. You can always start at the bottom and work your way up, learning as you go, but it helps to get a basic rundown and clean overview of what is happening at the money hungry side of things. More or less, all aspects of this course has been a whirlwind of evaluations, and to present information from both sides of the spectrum might help connect that communication between the suits and the real or aspiring muffins.

Merrakesh

My face hurts.

I haven't laughed so much since I last watched blazing saddles... I went to Merrakesh tonight with my two beautiful roommates; Jules and Carli. We also had our friends Ben and Chappy there. It was my first time there, and it was quite an experience. I feel a little bit like I'm writing a piece for the Portland city search comment section right now, but I'm going to go with it.

Here's why. It relates to this course in so the following ways. We ate food. A LOT OF FOOD... We had five courses, not including a few bottles of Moroccan vino, and that fantastic lemon something tea that accompanies the coconut ice cream finisher. I don't do coconut, but it was enough to watch the rest of my good company take it down.

I left the establishment tonight feeling so fat and happy, and satisfied to the high heavens after an eccentric meal compiled of so many flavors that I will just hope that anyone who reads this might have the opportunity to visit themselves. Although I don't plan on making a habit of eating out, and instead make more of a habit of cooking my own food, I still took a lot from the dynamic around the dinner table with my friends this evening. This is what the experience of food and eating is supposed to be like. The communion of appreciating your food, and sharing it with those around you. Eat with your hands, get in to it, make a mess, enjoy yourselves. Savor the vast amount of flavor and diversity in your food and your surroundings. Play music, or put on one of your top five albums...celebrate.

In situations like this you realize how sensual food can be, and should be. You praise it, you toast to it, you stop and close your eyes and try to connect with each flavor in one bite, and smile when you become so overwhelmed with the wholeness and goodness of what you are taking in combined with your surroundings. Sure, not every meal will be like this. And would prefer that it be with food that I have harvested myself. However, during my journey in the labyrinth of food systems, I will stop and embrace the small moments of indulgence and appreciation with those whom I am pleasured to share it with.

Sunday afternoon

It's all happening. The world continues to turn, our eyes continue to blink, our hearts continue to beat. Life is good--I can't really think of a time when it was anything but. I find myself today really investing a lot of thought and energy towards questions that will mostly likely only be answered after I'm long and gone.

I had an all day Friday and all day Saturday one credit course called "Women Mystics". I showed up sans expectations, and left with a semi-clear wandering mind about the power of the divine, the spirit, meditation, devotion, and transluscence. The instructor asked us to go outside and find inspiration in some of the writings from St. Hildegard of Bingen. We had crayons, and paper, and were surrounded by sunshine and the hustle of the Portland Farmers Market. This is my kind of assignment...I've got myself some crayons, I picked out my favorite colors, I'm laying on the grass in the sun, I don't have to work tonight, stick a fork in me, I'm done... So more or less, I really got in to my little niche in the park blocks and had no problems clearing my mind. So I will share this curious thing that came up during my internalizing moments. Here is an excerpt from the writings of St. Hildegard...

"Hail to you, O greenest, most fertile branch! You budded forth amidst breezes and winds in search of the knowledge of all that is holy. When the time was ripe your own branch brought forth blossoms. Hail, greetings to you! The heat of the sun exudes sweat from you like the balsam's perfume. In you, the most stunning flower has blossomed and gives off its sweet odor to all the herbs and roots, which were dry and thirsting before your arrival. Now, they spring foth in fullest green! Because of you, the heavens give dew to the grass, the whole Earth rejoices; Abundance of grain comes from the Earth's womb and on its stalks and branches the birds nest. And, because of you, nourishment is given to the human family and great rejoicing to those gathered round the table..."(qtd. in De Sancta Maria (To Mary) (Trans. by Jerry Dybdal and Matthew Fox. In Hildegard of Bingen's Book of Divine Works)).

I had to laugh for a moment when I tried to imagine a McDonalds commercial with some kid saying that to a tree outside with his happy meal in his lap. The wonderful thing about her writings is that you don't have to associate yourself with any religion or even investigate Hildegard's personal beliefs to appreciate what she says, or how she describes the earth, the environment, the circle of life...food. Food and drink used to be enjoyed, appreciated, honored, respected, more holy, more familial, more sensual, and more nourishing. This was because people nurtured the land and the crops as they nurtured their family. It was an entirety of processing seeds to maturing and ripening as you would your children. Unique are those now whom find it very necessary to encourage and teach their children how to find and look for the beauty of creation and richness in their food, and their food choices.

Not to get too off track, I have spent the last couple of days curiously absorbing the things around me that may or may not be taking us further and further away from ever raising our families, and treating our neighbors with the respect and attention to community health and future preservation. Can we go back to that place? How many of us will? Can I even get there? I don't know, but we can take small steps. I know that if I give myself unrealistic expectations then I won't learn from the process and the individual changes I can make today, tomorrow, etc.

I saw my sister, my nephew, my niece, and my brother-in-law today. My niece and nephew are getting those opportunities, and are being exposed true health and happiness. And as soon as they are big enough, you can bet they'll be out berry picking with their Auntie Virg.
(I'm losing track of my thoughts, more later...)

IKEA

These are just some thoughts, not necessarily towards any assignment, but I figured, as long as I'm blogging, I may as well.... well, blog I guess. So, I find myself walking downtown Portland this last weekend. I was on my way to campus to go to a barbeque with all the folks from StreetRoots, and a large uhaul sized truck drives by. The truck has clear plastic walls and a set up living room display with a giant sign that says "IKEA...OPENING"... or something like that. Okay, so I know that there are plenty of other things wasting energy for non-specific or condusive reasons that I could focus my frustration on, but I'm choosing this one, because it seems slightly more ridiculous than some others. Honestly, the damn truck just drives around Portland, and who knows where else as a moving advertisement with an image of what "your living room" could look like. What a complete waste of gas, I had already planned on not ever stepping foot in to IKEA, but now... I'm going to tell all my friends and family that I will disown them if they decide to.

Assignment 3; What now?

1. What is the best answer to the "Omnivore's Dilemma"?...What should Americans be eating for their meals?

Food. Personal choice. Conventional versus Organic. Family and Tradition versus Government and mass-production. The list is endless, Food, is such an overwhelming concept. Somehow it has gone from an instinct and form of survival, to a lifestyle and path to disease and economic failure to communicate. On page 3 of "Food Fight", Imhoff states that:

"Increased global trade, the call for less government spending, the concentration of distribution and processing capabilities, and low commodity prices took their toll on the farm sector and rural communities. Eventually corporate agribusinesses and mega-farms succeeded in tilting subsidies completely in their favor, but the Farm Bill has remained cloaked in a mythology that obscures its true impacts. For so long, so many things have been done in the name of the farmer rather than for the farmer that it's hard to separate rhetoric from reality."

For someone like me, who does not find the business and political side of the food industry a very simple concept--or simple language for that matter--books like Food Fight help to lay down the basics of what happens when things happen. When I started this course, I thought that I was doing my part in contributing to the improvement and strengthening of local and organic (healthy foods), and the enrichment of community life. I felt I was doing this by simply shopping at all natural food stores, growing foods with my roommates in our back yard, and becoming involved with local organizations. In other words, it is basically my way of living on the surface without a guilty conscious and without having to look behind the scenes at things that I believe we all truly know are destroying our environment. What is the best answer to the Omnivore's Dilemma? The best answer I can give is Education. Education can and hopefully will jump start this generation in to unlayering or taking off the surface of what we face as reality everyday. The surface of advertisements, brands, commercials, mass-marketing, video games, television, what have you that takes us away from our community and creates a blur on what is really happening in most cases. We have to get underneath the constant mirage of blinding projection of standard behavior and suggestive lifestyle which inherently creates and supports the sedative state of our generation and those on the way. We can't blame "them", or "it", we want to be able to point the finger at someone, or a group of someones for encouraging the evaporation of education and sustainable living. It's as if the world has become a comic book of heroes and villains and all the little helpless damsels distressed along the way. But even those who supported the development of conventional farming and genetic engineering and inhumane raising and killing of animals, even those who supported that and helped create the means to do such a thing cannot be solely responsible for reversing its effect.

The farming and food industry has become a well-oiled machine (well-not meaning-good) which is technologically advanced and developed enough to where we are almost being run by it. This is where heroes like Micheal Pollan and Micheal Moore come in. People who are making efforts to find a way to reverse or undress the issue at hand, and more importantly, to teach others about it, to unveil the facts and the opportunity to change. This creates a personal attachment from what these researchers are learning to those of us who listen. Pollan took it upon himself to retrace the course of food to person, a task which does not open itself easily to accomplishment. In his findings and through his efforts in educating others about the food industry, he has already educated us in what we are really putting in to our bodies. It is through this education that we find our own curiosity, and our own questions about what we eat, and effects our food choices have on other people, communities, environments, and more importantly our future, and the well-being of everyone and everything. Not one person has told us what to do. Or given us a clean answer or step by step cleansing process so that we know what or how to not be any contribution to this epidemic. I'm not so sure anyone can tell us what to do. I believe that we can clean this up, I just don't know how much will be lost before that process is really noticeable. We have to continue to educate ourselves and others about what food has become, and where our food is coming from, from there they can take on their own investment in to this adventure.

Kieth, his friend Joe and I went on two organic farm tours with two very wonderful people from People's. The first farmer's name was Lyle Stanley, Lyle is very passionate about farming and producing healthy food for the wellness and healing of people. He genuinely cares about what is happening to our world and the process that we view as standard for food production, and specifically the distributing of that food. Lyle said to each of us before we left that he struggled, was tired, and was angry about what has happened in this world and that he cannot support his lifestyle of working daily and growing good wholesome food for his neighbors. But he also said that he loves what he does, he is passionate about it, and he has chosen this as his love and life to go after and try to make a difference within and outside of his means. He then pointed at each of us and said, "And you... you are going to pick something, and you are going to do that, and give everything you have in your heart to improve and help and be passionate about that. And you... you are going to pick something else, and you are going to give everything you have in your heart to that, and struggle and grow and be passionate about that". And so on and so forth to each of us. This made an impact on me because I see what Lyle and others like him are doing to change the downhill slide of our farm policies and lack of concern and lack of activity for that matter. I see what he is doing and that he may not see large return or hard evidence of the worldwide impact he is making, however, if more and more of us make the choice to do just that and be passionate and invest our knowledge and time and energy to something that will ultimately benefit our environment and those that live on after us, then I think we can see some difference, enough to feel rewarded, baby steps of resolution will develop in to a grander scheme of reversal.

What should Americans be eating for their meals? Americans should be eating champagne grapes for their meals. That is the end all be all. Actually, I just had to say that because my roommate just brought me some nice and cold from the fridge. She got them at New Seasons. I wonder how many miles they travelled to get in to my hand here. But they are delicious. However, I think I could sacrifice little pleasures like champagne grapes and exotic flowers in order to shrink my personal contribution to over-production and most likely slave wages and unfair employment practices. I could and will sacrifice those things in my efforts to learn more about all my daily practices that are adding to the problem of mass supply and demand and the uneven proportions therein. So what should Americans be eating? We should be eating our own food. Straight from the garden to the kitchen. Commune living, that's where I'm headed, going to find a group of people who know more about it that I do, so I can learn, and then teach others. That's the best I can do, and I will leave the financial and political endeavors to people speak that language, while I learn more about that from them, and then maybe I can make a larger impact there. Baby steps, if everyone baby steps with their personal choices, large impacts occur. Everyone decides to ride their bike five days a week. That's a baby step! And if everyone did it, there would be large impacts--over a certain amount of time, those large impacts would conjoin and the environment would kick back in to its healing process.

2. Can cooperation succeed as a business model in the United States?

The seven cooperative principles (listed in Assignment 2 below) are a very direct, and yet very fluid list of concepts with the idea of ultimately benefiting the community, the growth of education, and the openness to new ideas and concepts with the hopes of contributing to the well-being of the food industry, the family, and the health and future of the world. It sounds slightly cliche and maybe unrealistic when developing a solid business model. For someone like me, who is very new and green to the entire business side of things, it seems like all you really need is the desire and the efforts and time of people whom genuinely care about the company and its policies, as well as enough income and financial flow to allow a store and a community space to stay open. The most important part of the cooperation model is that it requests and appreciates involvement from everyone who is involved--which isn't very common among standard business practices. If you purchase something from a company, you aren't asked to be an owner or if you would like to participate in making business decisions. It's as if the Cooperation has a larger backbone because of the sheer numbers of real people involved. There is a lack of delegating and no need for international representatives calling the shots.

3. What do you think is the future of the natural food industry?

I believe that the future of the natural food industry really lies in each of our hands, there is no way to tell if there will even be a future for natural food, based on the majority of our habits, and the process of our historical lifestyle evolvements and changes, the future of natural food doesn't look like a future at all. We may in fifty years only be able to find clean food in the middle of the mountains, or in Cuba (they've got a pretty good handle on things). It's really up to anyone who cares, to decide that they care enough to make natural food a part of their daily lives, and to regard the food industry with respect and interest so as to take away a bit of the governments decision making. We could argue forever about organic, non-organic, local, cruel and inhumane animal practices, and so on and so forth, but when we really get underneath it, as long as we are caring about the food industry and what is happening therein to independent farmers and the lack of new farmers, if we all donate some kind of thought and energy to the continuation of real and whole food in general, than the rest of the issues can be explored. Right now, the future of the natural food industry consists of a lot of people with passion, without a lot of money, and a government and industry machine that can cloud the issues at hand with juicy advertisements and million dollar campaigns and commercial agreements.

On p. 320 in "Omnivore's Dilemma", when speaking of the practices of humane and inhumane killing and the small inconspicuous differences between a CAFO and a "good" farm, Pollan states that...

"What this suggests to me is that people who care about animals should be working to ensure that the ones they eat dont' suffer, and that their deaths are swift and painless--for animal welfare, in others words, rather than rights"

Similarly to this, people who care about local and organic food, and the health of our environment and community should be working to ensure that things are being done at the top of the industrial food chain in all areas of food, as an entire ethical and value assessment of the food industry without judgements, and make personal choices to ensure the lack of contribution they are making to those things that they deem so unacceptable for our planet's sustainability.


4. What do you think are People's strengths in the local marketplace? In comparison to its competitors, how do you think People's should position itself into the future?

People's has many strengths, and I think many Portlandians honor and respect the values behind People's. One of the concrete strengths is their location, however, it can also be a hinderence when wanting to acquire new members and introduce those not familiar with cooperatives to the ideas and beliefs behind People's. Because it is off on a neighborhood street, those commuting on main roads may not notice it and head right over to new seasons, or what have you. Perhaps the cooperative could develop some sort of campaign or word of mouth advertisements just to inform others that they are there. Many of us were lucky enough to hear about it through a friend, or ride by and become curious from the design and the atmosphere. However, it is not often that people stop when they are curious. (It's one of my favorite things to do).

This then poses another question of whether or not People's is interested in that kind of development and advertising. Do things like newspaper ads step outside of their value scale? Or maybe they could just sell more apparel and trinkets with their logos and something catchy to spread the word. Either way, I think they make a strong first impression with newcomers, and would create a very large community through the communication of friends, neighbors, owners, Portland State, and so on and so forth.

Compared to the large corporations such as whole foods and trader joes, etc. I think that places like this will continue to thrive in areas because of its essence of popularity among certain demographics of people. Eventually if these people realize that the purchases they are making are doing a lot less than they believe, they would be easily switched to a cooperative or perhaps even a CSA. Hoping that the uprising of health food stores is more a trend than a lifestyle choice, and that by the continuing education of the food industry and the government subsidizing and economical failure associated with all of these issues, consumers will make choice then to change their behaviors and purchases to add weight to the uneven table of conventional and industrial versus independent and organic. So basically it is through education that People's can continue to thrive and grow within our communities and the larger nations food and environment issues as well.

Assignment 2; Natural Food Industry

1a. On my last trip to the grocery store I purchased the following items, I realized that because I knew I was going to be recording my purchases I was more focused on the way I was shopping. I usually read the labels of anything in a package, and pay most attention to calories, trans and saturated fats, and sugar content. I make fairly regular purchases at a few different markets, and because of my current schedule, buy a lot more packaged than bulk foods because of the time I have to grab and go. I will still buy nuts, grains, rice, and dried fruits in bulk, but realize now that I don't pay as close attention to those labels because I have trust in the business that I am purchasing them from. Also, I have come to associate many of these bulk foods such as granola and dried fruit, as well as the occasional chocolate almonds and yogurt raisins, as my junk foods or sweet snack foods, therefore I know that they aren't that good for me, so I just assume that sugar will be high. However, my rice, nuts, grains, and even breads are purchased sans-packaging as much as possible because of the waste and health benefits.
It occurs to me now after attempting to get underneath my shopping process, and why or how it is that I have come to shop like this, that I assume that non packaged foods are going to be better for my body than those that are packaged. Why is it that I feel this way? To purchase in bulk obviously cuts down on waste, but is it necessarily or even in general better foods for my body? I suppose it depends on where I purchase the foods, the variety of the foods I purchase, the portioning in which I consume them, and what I am looking for in my own personal diet.

So, on this particular shopping trip I skipped the bulk section and bought the following items, (keep in mind I was on my bike and had to choose with the thought of transporting my purchases home in my backpack, so I kept it relatively simple).

1b:

Item #1. Good for Life California Sun-Dried Made in Nature 100% Organic RAISINS:
Wow... and that wasn't even the whole title of this particular bag of raisins. It's interesting how marketing works to grab our attention. These raisins were purchased at Fred Meyer, I buy them there because I can get a very large bag that will last myself and my two roommates longer. However, after bringing it home I realize that all of the "organic" language on the bag in bold and large colors almost seems as if they are trying to convince the potential consumer of the quality or freshness of the mystery product inside. Maybe this is why I prefer unpackaged goods, because I can see what I will be consuming in the near future! It is similar to going in to a restaurant and having limited to no access or view of the kitchen. What is going on back there and is it clean? The more you can see, the more hands on you feel with what is going on around you, the more personal connection you feel to your food. The texture, sight and smell of your food should be what grabs your eye, not the bright yellow bag with an image of shiny green grapes, inside of which is a ridiculous amount of raisins (I'm assuming because grapes are more appealing to the eye before they are dried up and loaded with sugar).

Item #2. Westbrae Natural Organic Black Beans:
These beans were purchased in a can, a large can at that, from People's Food Cooperative. I knew that I already had a few cans of beans from there, but I really couldn't think of anything else we needed at the house, and I like to incorporate beans in many of my meals because it has fiber and protein, and they are a good filler. I haven't really done any more research on beans, and I'm not sure when it became part of my semi-regular diet, I think at some point I replaced things like croutons or chicken in my salads with beans or rice. My salads are slowly becoming a veggie burrito minus the tortilla, with the addition of fruits and spinach....Yum. The other thing I noticed when looking closer at my can of beans is the USDA Organic stamp on the label--and the fact that my bag-o-raisins was missing the same stamp. Now I wonder, what exactly does that mean? Do I trust the USDA to make a distinction between what is healthy for me by officiating titles Organic and USDA Organic? I suppose that question can only be answered by the kind of research that is going on in our textbooks. I would have to trace back my raisins to their California place of birth and investigate the sustainable efforts of the farm where they were grown. On top of that I have to decide if I have already broken my personal food and environment values by purchasing a non-local product. Already I have gone from feeling pretty good about my food choices before I started this assignment, to beginning a personal inventory of my beliefs and values in the choosing from the vast array of products, and lifestyles for that matter, that we have available to us.

Item #3: Barbara's Bakery PUFFINS Peanut Butter 100% Natural Crunchy Corn Cereal:
Confession, I love these things. I don't even care about the picture or how unappealing the milk looks in the bowl on the box, my roommate brought these home one time and I was hooked. I go through about a box a month, and it's the only cereal I eat besides the boring oat bran which comes in a large bag from people's. Granted, the box of Puffins state that they are low fat and wheat free, but I associate cereal especially with sugar and other bad things, so I stick to pure oat bran or the occasional granola and fruit breakfast. I just realized that Corn was in the title of this cereal, and after reading all about corn in Omnivore's Dilemma I'm wondering where this corn came from, after all, it isn't 100% Natural Corn... It's 100% Naturally Crunchy Corn Cereal. And I'm 100% Naturally a sucker for titles like that. If that isn't social advocating or manipulating or false advertisement, than I'm not sure what is.

4:Whole Foods vs. People's Food
I work next door to a Whole Foods and up until about 6 months ago also lived very near that same location. So I did 99% of my shopping at Whole Foods. It was easy to get addicted to the store and I think there are a few reasons for that. It goes back to the Barlow-Simson hand out which describes the desirable qualities of a supermarket. The cleanliness, inviting atmosphere, clearly marked aisles, fresh looking products, large variety, informed and clean staff, and the desire for customer feedback. They have everything your heart could imagine, and the idea that it is all organic is an automatic reward the minute you walk through the doors. People walk out of there with whole pizzas, cheesecakes, and a bouquet of flowers from Brazil without thinking twice about whether or not those were healthy choices because it came from "whole foods", and we have become conditioned to associate that with "good for me". Granted, Whole Foods makes many efforts to help lower our individual carbon footprints, and is making efforts as a company to lower their own. They are for the education of food development and food choice, and I think are a better choice than Safeway or Albertsons, but I have begun to step away from my own Whole Foods Junkie life because of a few different reasons.

I've begun to get the same feeling of overabundance, overwhelming variety, and unnecessary product assortment when I am in Whole Foods. It is slightly similar to a Costco experience, but things are more pricey, and most products claim to be natural or organic in some form. However, I can't justify shopping somewhere where there are plants, foods, and produce brought in from places across the world on a regular basis. I enjoy the flowers just as much as the next person, but to waste energy and transport a beautiful plant merely for our aesthetic value? It's not lining up for me, and I struggle with whether it is possible to only purchase local items. Even at People's Food they have apples brought in from Chile. I understand that I don't have to purchase these items, however, I think I do, I know I do, fairly regularly. In my coffee, my tea, my toothpaste, all or most of my toiletries are not made from local products.

On a priority scale of one to ten, I would say that I am making my food choices a 6. I thought I was a lot higher before I started to evaluate it. And I've just skimmed the surface. I suppose am or was comparing my own lifestyle and diet with that of others around me, and so I felt I was making large sacrifices for the sustainability of local and natural products, I would hit the farmers market about once a month, and only drive my car once or twice a week, and drop the money needed to shop at the Cooperative and other natural or cooperative markets. Years ago I eliminated things from my diet such as meat, fast food, corporate chains, soda, and milk. I made other things such as fish, and other forms of dairy very minimal, but see them slipping in regularly (mostly from my deep-rooted love for cheese). I found that since I did not eat meat, I could dismiss myself from any responsibility towards the epidemic surrounding the cruel raising of chickens and cattle (like the Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations visited in Omnivores Dilemma), I felt that I was doing my part to help, because I wasn't part of the consumer population. Yet, I work at a large corporate restaurant that serves plenty of it, so am I really not credible for contributing to the problem?

At this point in time, I feel that maybe I am more at the beginning of my food journey than ever before. "Organic" has been my second language for the past few years, and the more I read about the history and travels of this "organic" food before it comes to me, the more I question if it falls within my values and personal goals towards living and sharing a sustainable and environmentally supportive life.