Organic garden at the White House

One week ago, our blog was about Roger Doiron's campaign to establish an organic vegetable garden in the White House grounds. His work with Eat the View, along with other groups, including White House Organic Farm Project and others, has paid off.

Michelle Obama announced her intention to establish an organic vegetable garden at the White House. Though details are not confirmed yet, speculators predict that the garden will be planted on the South Lawn near the fountain. The residence staff is also expected to be responsible for the upkeep of the garden, rather than the National Park Service staffers that are generally responsible for the White House Grounds.

Once built, the Obama's garden will be the first at the White House since the Roosevelt's Victory Garden, built during World War II.

Activists hope that the White House garden will set an example to the nation about growing and eating healthy food. Obama seemed to confirm this when she said she "want[s] the White House to be a place of education and awareness."

White House lawn may soon become edible

According to an article in the Telegraph over 85,000 people have signed a petition encouraging the Obama's to start an organic vegetable garden on the White House grounds.

The petition is led by Roger Doiron, the founder and director of Kitchen Gardeners International. Doiron is working to localize food systems and his non-profit spans 100 countries with 10,000 members. He has also written articles appearing in the New York Times, International Herald Tribune and the Washington Post.

Doiron intends the garden to be a large project, big enough to fulfill the vegetable needs for the entire White House, with any surplus going to local food pantries. There is a history of raising food in the White House grounds, though the last vegetable garden was Eleanor Roosevelt's Victory Garden during World War II.

The petition is available to sign online at www.eattheview.org. It will be delivered with a package of heirloom seeds, ready for planting.

Full text of petition below:

We, the undersigned, are petitioning President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama to plant a large organic food garden or Victory Garden on the First Lawn with the produce going to the White House kitchen and local food pantries. The White House is "America's House" and should serve as a model at a time of economic and environmental crisis. In planting this garden, the Obamas would not be breaking with tradition, but returning to it (the White House has had food gardens before) and leading by personal example on global challenges such as economic security, food security, climate change, healthcare policy and energy independence.

Endangered Species Act restored

In his last days in the White House, former President Bush repealed a law that requires developers to seek a threat assessment from the Department of Fish & Wildlife before undertaking development. The purpose of the assessment was to determine the level of risk to endangered species in the area.

Bush's change defied 35 years of precedent, but he claimed that the rule was a hindrance to the economy because it slowed the rate of development. However, it put the fate of some species in the hands of those not qualified to make the right decision.

Obama restored the original act today. He said, "Throughout our history, there's been a tension between those who've sought to conserve our natural resources for the benefit of future generations, and those who have sought to profit from these resources. This is a false choice. With smart, sustainable policies, we can grow our economy today and preserve the environment."

The decision has been lauded by environmentalists and some congressmen. This decision marks the first major step in Obama's goal to let policy be guided by science, rather than partisan politics or ideology.

Energy efficiency in stimulus bill

The New York Times recently reported about the flood of energy efficiency money included in the stimulus bill passed by Congress in February.
According to the article, over $20 billion is included in the bill, including spending to improve energy efficiency in government buildings, in the homes of the poor, and to fund energy efficiency research. Advocates have said that there is more money set aside in this bill than in any other in history. The largest chunk of money is set aside for grants to state and local governments to improve their buildings and facilities.

This bill provides an opportunity to make lasting changes to government buildings, including weatherizing windows and entrances, modernizing wiring and researching long-term solutions to energy drains, such as too-large skylight in a Knoxville, TN office.

It is crucial to find a balance between near-term spending and long-term impact. State and local governments will be encouraged to file for and spend grants quickly, but many cities and states have not prepared with appropriate building and energy audits. To solve this problem, the grant opportunities should provide time and funding for the governments to complete audits. This will ensure the maximum potential is gained through the stimulus money.

Reduce Food Waste

The average American wastes about 25% of the food that they buy. In the UK, food waste numbers are up to one-third. The good news is, much of this food waste can be reduced through fairly simple measures.

The short version: buy less food, serve smaller portions and plan ahead. If all else fails, compost.

The long version can be found through numerous websites with tips and techniques to reduce food waste. Here are a few:

The Daily Green
Love Food, Hate Waste
US News
Green Right Now
My Zero Waste

Kindness in Florida

CNN published an article today about Chene Thompson, the wife of a Florida state representative, and Henrietta Hughes, a homeless woman who Thompson agreed to help. Hughes spoke up at a town hall meeting with President Obama on Tuesday. She said that she was living out of a car with her son and needed help. President Obama promised that his staff would work on it, but Thompson stepped forward from the crowd to offer Hughes a place to stay.

This example speaks to being in the right place at the right time. If Hughes had not been able to attend the town hall meeting, her request would not have been heard. Likewise, if Thompson had not been at the meeting, she would not have been able to offer her help. However, the fact that there was a right place and time for this in the current economic climate speaks to the ability of humans to transcend proscribed behaviors and connect, simply, as humans.