All the News That’s Fit

Your Kitchen. Probably my favorite place - even if it’s your kitchen?! If you have me over - that’s probably where we’d congregate and, at some point during the visit, we’d probably talk about food and recipes.

Think about it - the kitchen is where the action takes place, right? Not only is it a place to hang out but it also provides sustenance and supports our daily need, to feed our bodies, and fulfill our cravings for… chocolate.

Have you ever thought about your kitchen as “eco-friendly”? Eating green, energy-efficient food prep, cleaning habits, using equipment made from sustainable materials, avoiding harmful chemicals in the products you use? I love this topic so I am sure you’ll see it pop up every now and again… and this particular blog is all about wasting not and wanting not.

I grew up listening to my mom reminding me to “know what I want when I go to the fridge.” Or giving useful advice like “turn the lights out when you are done using the kitchen.” And the old favorite, “eat everything on your plate or else you will not get dessert.”

My poor mom. I’d just roll my eyes, let out a huff and…do what I was told. She was right and still is right.

“Wasting” starts outside of the kitchen in the supermarkets. Have you ever stopped to notice the excessive packaging supermarket shelves? Unbelievable. What can we do?

Tip 1: When grocery shopping, take your own, cloth bags (or even used plastic bags) or buy one in the checkout line. Most grocery stores sell cloth bags.

Tip 2: If you don’t have access to a farmers market which is great way to get fresh food and support local farmers - and have to shop the local grocery store, then buy mainly fresh, unwrapped produce.

Tip 3. Buy in bulk- but not too much! If you are regularly throwing food away cut back on the quantity. It’s better to shop more often and buy less fresh food.

Tip 4: Reuse. Reuse. Reuse. …what you can, that is. Like old glass jars or bottles, grocery bags, and packaging you can’t avoid. And of course, eat leftovers.

Tip 5. Compost any uncooked organic waste (including cardboard and paper), and don’t fret if you don’t have a garden on which to spread your yummy compost. Even in big cities, many local farmers markets and organizations will gladly accept your compost.

Mary Miller is a pro-triathlete, eco-athlete and a Friend of FitPlanet. Look for her green tips, recipes, and musings in the months to come blog on the News page of the FitPlanet website. Share your ideas and thoughts on green livings with Mary at info@afitplanet.com .

Los Angeles, CA-based Live Earth has tapped FitPlanet to help green the first annual Dow Live Earth Run for Water, taking place around the world on April 18, 2010.

The event will be the largest global water initiative in history aimed at solving the world water crisis. The campaign focuses on the sources and impact of the water crisis locally, nationally and internationally and suggests actions individuals can take to effectively address the issue:
- Conserve water
- Host or run/walk a Dow Live Earth 6k race on April 18, 2010
- Give money to provide clean drinking water where the problem is most critical
- Speak up by signing the UN petition making water a basic human right.

Each of the global events include a 6K run/walk and “water village” to help educate and inform participants about the critical water issues many communities around the world face. Many of the events will also include concerts.

The 6K distance represents the average distance many women and children walk every day to secure water.

FitPlanet is supporting Run for Water events in North and South America including Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Minneapolis, New York City, Rio de Janeiro, Toronto, Sau Paulo, and Washington DC.

We encourage you to support the cause. Please click here to find a 6K Run for Water near you.

The campaign will integrate 6K Community Run/Walks (the average distance women and children walk for water in many third world countries) with concerts, online resources, and hands-on interactive experiences in countries across the globe — helping to create a tipping point to combat this crisis.

Athletes, please register for the 6 K run/walk on April 18th nearest you. Every step counts to solve the water crisis.

If there’s no event listed in your community, get involved by throwing your own “Friends of Live Earth” event on April 18th- we already have over 30 “Friends of Live Earth” events registered worldwide.

Here’s some ideas for a local event”
· Host a local run/walk
· Promote the run in schools, get local youth involved
· Show a movie (there are a lot of good ones out there: FLOW, Blue Gold, Tapped Out)
· Organize the clean-up of a local stream or pond
· Develop a local water & sanitation project

Click here for more information. If you have any questions or need more information about this event please e-mail us at: ngo@liveearth.org

More from Matt Hill, half of the Run for One Planet duo. Stephanie Tait and Matt, two intrepid Canadian, ran 11,000 miles across Canada and around the US to raise awareness and funds for environmental education.

It’s Sunday, August 16th, the day after my Mom’s 81st birthday! Happy Birthday to the youngest 81 year old on the Planet!

I sit here typing in a little coffee shack in Penticton BC called, “Smith & Company.” I’ve re-fueled here many times over the last 3 years at this locals spot in Ironman City Canada. As you know, I’ve completed 7 Ironman Canada’s and when Steph and I were beginning to plan the Run for One Planet tour waaaaaay back in January 2007, we spent an afternoon here madly typing our wish list of the most desired team and the tour’s first quarterly goals.

It’s amazing as I reflect back how many things came true as a result of us spending time that cold winter day planning our newly hatched tour to inspire people to be better stewards for our Planet. I remember like it was yesterday, going back and forth with “let’s contact that person and wouldn’t it be amazing to put this together.” We picked most of our team and many sponsors on that day even if “they” didn’t know it at the time.

Luckily Steph and I had ebullient enthusiasm and endless energy reserves, as little did we know what we were embarking on and just how much sacrifice it was going to take in order to pull this tour off.

We were never afraid of hard work and knew it would be a winding, twisting journey. It is a gift now to be writing a book to share with the world about the Run for One Planet Tour.

We had our very first Board of Directors meeting this week filled with members of our original R41P team plus new members, fresh with energy, ideas and inspiration. We are very much looking forward to these next four months as we create the Legacy vision & mission.

So long from Ironman City Canada and the wee coffee shop known as S&Co that helped Steph & me get clear on our biggest dream and who, how, and when we were going to make it happen.

Please contact me, Matt Hill, if your company, or someone you know is looking for a presentation from two road warriors. We are available starting in September. We will be working with a few speakers bureaus to reach out to community and corporate folks to share our message and some stories from the always entertaining, ever-changing Run For One Planet highway of dreams. Matt Hill

Setting a high standard for environmental responsibility, the Sustainable Sports Foundation celebrated Earth Day on Sunday April 19 with the running of the inaugural Marin County Half Marathon, earthRUN 10K and Kids Races at McNear’s Beach Park, San Rafael, California.
The race brought out some local celebrities, including 2009 Half Marathon World Champion and 2008 U.S. Olympic Marathoner Magdalena Lewy-Boulet, and Ultramarathon Man Dean Karnazes. Professional triathletes Becky Lavelle and Kelly Couch won their divisions in the earthRUN 10K and Half Marathon, respectively. Newcomers Renaldo Cis and Salvador Garcia won the men’s races. Click here for full results.
Like the highly successful Marin County Triathlon , the Marin County Half implemented a number of eco-friendly practices including recycling and composting. The race used solar panels to power the event and encouraged runners to carpool to reduce the carbon footprint of the event. “It was all done with the intention of giving back to the earth” said Race Director Mark Liebert.
The Marin County Half Marathon donated and planted a native California Buckeye tree to celebrate the ceremonial Olympic Garden tree planting for all future Sustainable Sports Foundation events.

(R to L) 2009 Half Marathon World Champion and 2008 U.S. Olympic Marathoner Magdalena Lewy-Boulet, Race Director Mark Liebert and former Olympian and race announcer Rob Powers make the first digs. photo by Jerry Downs

Some of the best things in life happen purely by chance. I was checking out the blog of a very gifted yoga teacher - Susan Maier-Moul - and I happened upon a video clip she posted March 1, in a blog titled One Planet One People One Love . At the end of the blog she posted a Youtube video that had me mesmerized and sent me searching for more.

Playing for Change: Song Around the World “One Love”

What does it have to do with the environment. Everything and nothing. Take a listen.

As we prepare for the holiday season, one of the favorite gifts we give and receive is electronics. Be it a new flat-panel TV, laptop, phone, GSP, game station, or whatever, smiles appear when the wrapping paper comes off. We just can’t get enough of this stuff.
And when we do get a new piece of electronics, we typically throw out last-year’s model to make room - and if you’re responsible you recycle that e-waste. You should feel good about recycling these items because many contain lead, cadmium, PVCs and other toxin substances.
But there are a few issues with the process after you drop that gadget off at the recycling center. Some recyclers don’t always do the ethical thing, as 60 Minutes alleged in a report on e-waste November. A vast amount of e-waste actually ends up in China and other countries where it is disassembled in primitive ways that result in serious consequences for the health of the land, air, water, and people. If you haven’t seen this 60 Minutes report yet, then check it out here.
One way to ensure your e-waste is being recycled ethically and responsibly is to use this national directory, provided by the Electronics TakeBack Coalition. Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of recyclers in the US that have signed up for the Coalition’s program… at least not yet.
Want to get involved ? Click here for more information.

4.27.08 How did you spend Earth Day? Did you attend a rally? Were you a bit more conscious about what you recycle? Did you change a few light bulbs to compact florescents? Perhaps you rode you bike to work? That’s great - every little bit helps.
What the Planet needs, however, is not one Earth Day a year but 365. And if we are going that far, let’s make it Earth Decade. On second thought, let’s go for Earth Century.
What’s my point? One day is not enough to change habits - a year or a decade is.
So when you fly to that next business meeting or vacation destination, offset your greenhouse gas emissions (atmosfair.org is a good carbon offset site to use but you make your own decision).
The next time you’re in the market for a new car, don’t buy that SUV, buy a hybrid (or electric, or hydrogen, or fuel cell) car.
And when you buy a new home, pass on that 8,000 square foot McMansion, and buy something that requires less energy to heat and cool.
And as an athlete, the next time you are looking for a race or event — be it a triathlon, road race, century ride, open-water swim, charity walk, or whatever — check the race website to see if it has a green plan. If not, email the race director to ask why not, then continue your search for one that does. Starting Monday, April 28, you can also search the FitPlanet EcoRace Directory at www.afitplanet.com/raceinfo.
Race Directors that are putting on sustainable events need your support. Together we can make everyday Earth Day.