Helping Preserve Our Parks

I don't eat granola bars but Mom sometimes does especially when doing field work. She has eaten this brand in the past and liked it. Who doesn't like oats and honey? I think I would even like them but before I'm allowed to eat them let's take a look at the ingredients.

Oats and Honey ingredients:
whole grain oats, sugar, canola oil, yellow corn flower, honey, soy flour, brown sugar syrup, salt, soy lecithin, baking soda, natural flavor.

Hmmmm. These ingredients sound good to me but not to Mom. She has issues with everything. I mean really, whole grain oats are good for you, right? And sugar? What could be more natural? These ingredients read like a lesson in good health but Mom feels that there are lots of pesticides used in the growing of the ingredients and that most if not all are genetically modified (GMO). Huh?

Eating these granola bars in moderation, like every once in a while is okay. The jury is still out on GMO's but we all know that pesticide consumption is hazardous to your health. Sugar is the second ingredient listed, honey is fourth, and brown sugar syrup is sixth which means these bars are full of sugary sweetness. All that sugar is not good for you on a daily basis. And what is natural flavor? This is Nature Valley's "secret ingredient", the old proprietary ingredient that they don't have to disclose because if they did they then everypug could make their own granola bars. As if! But there may be one reason Mom may want to buy some granola bars for her turtle trip next month.

Nature Valley knows that our national parks are in trouble. They face serious challenges and they need our help. Simply buy specially marked boxes of Nature Valley granola bars and for every wrapper you send in, they will make a 10 cent donation to the National Parks Conservation Association. The contributions will be used to fund 3 different projects in 3 different parks:

Sustaining native plant life in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Freeing Pronghorn migration in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Restoring coral reefs in Biscayne National Park, Florida

The coupon advertisement stated a guaranteed minimum donation of $250,000 and a maximum donation of $500,000 but the website stated a maximum donation of $650,000 (with the same minimum donation). So confusing! Either way, Nature Valley will be making donations through August 31, 2010 and that money will help preserve our national parks for generations to come.

This is Mom's favorite national park, Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Even though this is not one of the parks that Nature Valley is helping, she still thinks this is a good cause. Preserving parks preserves not only our heritage but also the biodiversity that must be maintained in order to preserve our lives. We are all interconnected.

I've never been to a national park but that's not for lack of trying. Mom tells me that they don't allow dogs in the parks and while I can't really understand why, I'm not a law breaker so at home I stay. I hear all about the parks when Mom and Dad get home but it's just not the same. Maybe one day the rules will change and off I'll be whisked to a park of my choosing. Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park here I come!

Reality Check!

I got back a couple of days ago but I've been super busy helping Mom with the gardening. I told her that I had to update everypug on the weekend and she finally agree to give me the morning off. Sheesh! Slave labor is alive at Stubby's house!

I had a great time with the poodles. Their parents are super cool and gave me lots of treats. While I was chillaxin' with the poodles Mom and Dad were doing their own chillaxin' on this boat. It's called "Reality Check" but the boat owner said it should be called "Write A Check". I don't get it but Mom does.

This little guy is Marley and he is the captain's dog. He's only a year old but is already a very experienced boater, or so everyone thought. He couldn't really handle the rocking of the boat so he tossed his cookies. Poor little dude. He spent most of the time in everyone's lap because his tap dancing toes prevented him from walking on the decks. I told Mom that he should have been wearing suction cup shoes but she just looked at me funny. DUH! Dogs don't belong on boats! You'd never catch me on one because I hate getting wet. And when Mom told me they cruised out six miles from shore I thought to myself (to quote so many of my friends ) "Haaaaailllll no!"

The day on the boat was fun but not as fun as the following day when Mom and Dad got to meet this guy:

Yep, that's Coco! Coco and his family met Mom and Dad in Ft. Lauderdale on Sunday. Mom couldn't get enough of Coco and wanted to bring him home. She said he was even sweeter in person than in pictures. I sure wish I could have met him but maybe next time.

Just look at Coco, his beautiful mom Sandra and soon to be sister Amelia. Mom said that Sandra has the most beautiful hair she's ever seen. This coming from a woman who hasn't had a great hairdo since the early 90s is quite a compliment.

It was super windy on Sunday but everyone agreed to pose for pics. Mom doesn't usually like to be photographed (something about the camera and 10+ pounds) but she just had to have her picture taken with Sandra and Coco.

Aren't they a lovely family? Gilbert may not be smiling on the outside but he's beaming with love for his family on the inside. Mom was really glad she got to meet them. She gave them extra hugs and kisses from me.

Mom told me I had to put this picture in here but I told her that Coco would be embarassed. Guess who won? What is it with Moms and pug butts? I mean I know we have cute butts but get over it! Okay, maybe Coco's butt is especially cute but if you're reading this Coco please know that it wasn't my idea to show the world your butt.

When I got home, Mom gave me a gift from Coco. How cool is that? My little friend Coco went shopping for little ole' me! I ripped open the package and found these cool treats and a turtle stuffie. Awesome! Thanks so much for the great gifts, Coco!

Hopefully things will get back to normal around here now that everyone is home. I'm still recovering from the weekend and despite the fact that I am forced to help with the gardening, as you can see by this picture, it's the lawn that needs help. Thankfully I'm too short to push the mower so I'll just relax in the grass where no one can find me. Ahhhh. So glad to be back home where I rule the roost!

Life's A Beach?

You guys know that Mom loves the beach. She goes to the beach every chance she gets. Mom thinks I don't go to the beach because I don't like the water but the real reason is because I never get invited. Such is the case this weekend.

Dad was in Miami this week for business and Mom decided to fly down to join him for some beach time. I begged Mom not to go because I need her here with me but she turned a deaf ear, packed her bags, and shuffled me off to the poodles' house. I love the poodles and their peeps but I'm sad because I like weekends at home with my peeps.

The poodles don't blog but thankfully they have a computer. I asked them if I could update my bloggie to let everypug know where and of course they said yes. So while Mom and Dad are at the beach, I'll be doing a lot of chillaxin with the poodles this weekend. The weather is suppose to be great and from what I hear, the poodles have stocked up on treats.

I don't know if the poodles will let me use the computer again this weekend, so if you don't hear from me it's because I'm doing this.

Tasty Tuesday!

When I asked Mom for a recipe for today she went way back in the archives to get this one. This recipe is one of the first she ever made for Dad when they first moved in together. The date at the top of the recipe reads "12-2-96". I wasn't even born yet!

Mom used to buy the Pillsbury cookbooks that were sold at the checkout stands and that's where this recipe comes from. This soup is so versatile and hearty that she use to eat it ever day. It freezes great and is good for serving crowds but for some reason Mom hasn't made it in a long time. Maybe I'll get her to make it next week because believe it or not I've never tasted it.

Pasta and Bean Soup

Pillsbury Classic Cookbooks - Casseroles, Soups & Stews

10 (1-cup) servings

1 tablespoon oil

1 cup chopped onions

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped carrot

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 (14 1/2-oz) cans vegetable broth

2 (15.5-oz) cans Great Northern Beans, drained

1 (14.5-oz) can diced peeled tomatoes, undrained

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1 teaspoon dried basil leaves

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 bay leaves

3 oz (3/4 cup) uncooked small shell macaroni

Heat oil in Dutch oven or stockpost over medium heat until hot.

Add onions, celery, carrot and garlic; cook and stir 4 minutes. Add broth, beans, tomatoes, oregano, basil, pepper and bay leaves. Bring to a boil.

Add macaroni. Reduce heat to medium; cook 10 to 13 minutes or until macaroni and vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaves.

Notes:

If you haven't already done so, please print out the EWG's new Dirty Dozen list before shopping for ingredients used in this recipe. Celery is at the top of the list so if you can't find organic please leave it out or substitute.

You guys know that Mom is a garlic freak and there's no way she could put just 2 cloves in this soup. She usually ends up putting 6 cloves in especially if she's the only one eating the soup.

Great Northern Beans are a great source of fiber and protein. With 12g of fiber and 14g of protein per cup, these delicious beans pack quite a punch. When shopping for canned beans, please make sure you buy cans that are BPA-free. This is, unfortunately, not easy to do. I only know of one nationally available brand, Eden Organic, whose beans are packed in cans that are BPA-free.

The beans are grown on small organic farms in the Midwest. After picking, they are soaked overnight and expertly cooked at Eden's certified organic cannery. There's a great map on the Eden Organic website that shows where their food is processed, canned, or packaged. How cool is that? I checked out the map and saw that Mom's beans come from Meridian Foods, in Eaton, Indiana.

Independently owned and operated for over 40 years, Eden Organic buys all their food from, and pays farms directly, in a sustainable way and most of it is grown a few miles to a few hundred miles from where it is packaged. They are also a green company when it comes to facilities. In 2008 they completed a 70,000 square foot LEED certified warehouse addition in Michigan. By tracking the environmental impact of food upstream with suppliers through company operations, and downstream by monitoring all social impacts, they have proven that they're truly committed to sustainability.

Mom likes petite diced tomatoes because she feels the smaller size better compliments the soup. BPA free canned tomatoes are hard to find due to the acidic nature of tomatoes. Even Eden Organic line their cans with enamel (read: plastic) but there are alternatives, one of which is to use fresh tomatoes. Another option is Pomi, an brand of tomatoes from Italy that are packaged in Tetra Paks which are BPA free and recyclable. They are available at Whole Foods. Some glass jar tomatoes are topped with lids lined with BPA so this is not really a good option. Trader Joes also sells Tetra Pak tomatoes but you know where I stand on Trader Joes.

Mom loves pepper. What can I tell you? She doesn't measure pepper into recipes but simply cranks the pepper mill over the pot until the top is black. That must equal 1/2 teaspoon, right?

2 bay leaves are also not enough for Mom. She usually adds an additional bay leaf and then leaves them in but doesn't eat them.

Dad cannot eat a lot of pasta because it contains too many carbs. He has tried low carb pasta but didn't really like it so in lieu of eating it again, Mom has decided to try an Eden Organic variety that's made from organic carrot powder, organic annatto powder, organic beet powder, and organic spinach powder, blended with 60 percent organic whole grain durum and 40 percent organic golden amber durum semolina wheat flours. Even though it's not low carb it is super healthy and Dad won't eat it all the time. The pasta is even packaged in boxes that are recycled and recyclable.

Meatless Monday - Still A Good Idea?

Mom was reading me an article on The Huffington Post Green this morning and it really got me thinking. Good thoughts of course. But it also made me mad because some people just don't get it.

Dad started doing Meatless Mondays last year and then stopped when he got sick in October. Since then he has gone back to eating meat on Mondays, much to Mom's dismay. Mom and others are convinced that eliminating meat from your diet just once a week is a great way to help address the global climate crisis because cows are a huge source of methane, a greenhouse gas. If everyone took small steps to change their actions we could change the course we're on, right? I mean everyone knows there are things we can do each and every day, from turning off the lights when you leave a room to carpooling but changing your food habits seems way too hard for some people. Why is that?

The thought of not eating meat for 24 hours is akin to cutting off a finger - just plain wrong. Painful as it may seem to some, not eating meat not only feels good because it gives the body a break from the heavy job of digesting animals, but it also provides the soul with a breather from eating those we hold close to our hearts - our animal friends. I was going to do a post on the book "Eating Animals" a couple of months ago but I thought the subject was a little too risque. The author of the book starts out by asking what the difference is between eating meat and eating dogs. Yikes! When Mom read this to me I put my paws over my ears and begged her to stop. Eat dogs? Who would do such a thing? It turns out that many people in certain parts of the world do in fact in dogs. But we eat cows, pigs, lamb, etc. so what's the difference?

Back to the article from today. Written by Ellen Kanner, the article is about an article written for Cattlenetwork, the online source for cattle news, decrying Meatless Monday. Cattlenetwork? Yes it seems there is such a website, just when we all thought the written word was dead. Hail to cattle!

Here's the article in its entirety. Please leave me your comments because I'm curious what you have to say on the subject. Do you believe that eating less meat is a good way to help the planet? Do you believe that eating meat is not really a problem in terms of the global climate crisis? Are factory farms to blame? Should we just leave the corporate powers that be so they can continue to ruin our soil, water supply, and air with their CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations)? What's the solution? And is there a viable solution for all people, not just yourself?

**********************************************************************************

Meatless Monday: The Meat People Hit Back

by Ellen Kanner

You know you're doing something right when you piss off the beef and pork people. The editor of Pork magazine recently decried the Meatless Monday effort on (wait for it) Cattlenetwork.

The pork and beef lobbies have a lot more power and money behind them than environmental organizations and health nonprofits like Meatless Monday, and the fact the editor saw fit to comment shows the plant-based effort has some punch. She's worried we're ganging up on her.

Her beef? She claims a Meatless Monday video likens working together to go meatless to supporting the war effort in World War II thus equating patriotism with being plant-based. What the video really says is what plant-based proponents of all stripes and flavors have been saying all along -- cutting back, cutting out meat once a week can only help the environment by conserving the natural resources used in animal farming. It can only improve our health by reducing our risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes,three major health threats linked to meat consumption. Most Americans eat 45% more meat than the USDA recommends. Hey, it's only the truth.

The truth, though, can be dangerous turf. A decade ago, the Cattlemen's Association tried to bring Oprah -- Oprah -- to her knees. They sued her for defamation for a show in which she made claims linking mad cow disease to beef. The only reason the suit didn't stick is, she was right. She explained 10 people had died eating tainted beef. It isn't libel if it's true.

The animal industry is looking for meatless pushback and they have found Paul McCartney and the UN International Panel on Climate Change. In his paper "Clearing the Air," presented to the American Chemical Society, UC Davis air quality professor Frank Mitloehner says Sir Paul can't go selling meatlessness as a solution to global warming. No one can.

The heart of his argument is the way greenhouse gas emissions were calculated "Livestock's Long Shadow," the seminal 2006 UN report which links animal production to global warming. Co-author Gidon Eshel, a Bard applied mathematician, stands by his findings. "The basic analysis we did is so simple and relies purely and completely on uncontested information."

The problem is what some, in their zeal, have done with that information. "PETA did some kind of in-house analysis and reached high numbers of emissions that I thought were inflated."

The data went viral and the meat folks of the world seized on it as ammunition to dismiss our role in climate change. Mitloehner says the answer to global warming isn't less meat and milk, it's more. By way of factory farming. "The developed world should focus on increasing efficient meat production in developing countries, we should adopt more efficient Western-styled farming practices to make more food with less greenhouse gas production."

Eshel feels Mitloehner presenting his paper before the American Chemical Society is a little like the Pork editor ranting about the meatless movement to the beef folks. "It's more than enough to disqualify a person from engaging in an honest discussion about this, The pharmaceutical companies are the ones making a lot of money from supplying 65% of all antibiotics to healthy animals for weight gain and milk production."

Mitloehner's study also had $5 million in underwriting, five percent of which came from the beef industry. "Livestock's Long Shadow" was underwritten by "nobody whatsoever," says Eshel. "I am not beholden to anybody, financially, morally or otherwise."

He pulls out studies, graphs and charts which all add up to one thing -- "When you eat meat, you exert three times as much pressure on land demand and reactive nitrogen as you do with a plant-based diet."

Although plant-based himself, "I'm not an advocate of veganism or a plant-based diet," says Eshel "I'm a researcher whose findings always lead away from animal-based foods, environmentally speaking."

Mitloehner did not respond to requests for an interview.

The meat folks can take on Oprah, they can take on Paul McCartney, they can take on an applied mathematician or even a 97-pound vegan like me. But the meatless movement is gaining traction because the truth is still the truth.

It's My Golden Birthday!

I can't believe I'm 13 years young today! In case you don't know what a golden birthday is, it's when a pug turns the age of their birth day. Today is the 13th of May and I'm 13! Mom is also a 13 baby but she celebrated her golden birthday back in the stone age!

Mom can't believe I was ever this small. This is me on my first day home. 10 weeks after my biological mom gave birth to me, Mom and Dad picked me up and drove me to my forever home. That big contraption on the right is the crate I had for the first two years of my life. It was way too big for me so Dad put a piece of cardboard in it so that I just used half. I never really liked that crate and was completely relieved when I no longer needed it.

But let me step back a little. I decided to sleep in today because I completey forgot it was my birthday. We had severe thunderstorms last night and all the thunder kept me up. I'm really afraid of thunder and hid under the covers cuddled up next to Dad so that nothing would harm me.

Mom tried several times to wake me up and was finally successful. I'm definitely not a morning pug.

I didn't know why I had to get out of bed. "What's the problem lady? I'm trying to sleep. I only got 12 hours in and I'm still tired!"

"It's my what? What you talkin' about Willis? My birthday?"

"Are you sure? I'm not getting out of bed this early for nothing!"

If it is my birthday you know what that means - POPEYES! Delicious! And who knows what else is planned since it is my golden birthday. Hey wait. Aren't you suppose to visit your birth day number of restaurants on your golden birthday? OMD! I'm going to be in a food coma by the end of the day!

I couldn't believe my eyes and nose when I came downstairs to find a whole dehydrator full of beef jerky waiting just for me. I'm going to eat 13 pieces!

And of course a special, delicious, golden birthday boy breakfast - scrambly eggs and sausage! Yummy!

Mom told me that the rest of the day is a surprise. Her lips are sealed and even though I tried to bribe her with lots of kisses, she won't tell me what she has planned. I'm off to take a nice long nap so that I'm well rested for the rest of my big day. Happy birthday to me!

Tasty Tuesday!

These delicious little beans are the subject of today's recipe. Mom loves black beans almost more than any other food. She could eat them every day and sometimes does.

The black bean is also called the black turtle bean so its no wonder Mom likes them. It is small but meaty and flavorful. It's kidney shape and shiny black skin belies its cream-colored flesh. It's so versatile because it holds its shape when cooked and its texture absorbs the flavors of other foods making it a compliment to so many dishes. It can even be turned into a meal on its own.

Black beans are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber and their high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal. They are also rich in antioxidant compounds. Mom thinks they are one of the most perfect foods in the world and wishes that more people would try them. I don't eat them because Mom is afraid they'll give me gas and Dad doesn't eat them because he doesn't like the way they smell, so Mom has all the black beans to herself. She's been eating them for so long that they never give her any problems.

Black Bean Soup

Cooking Light Soup

Serves 6

1 pound dried black beans
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup water
1 tablespoon ground cumin
3 bay leaves
1 serrano chile, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Sort and wash beans; place in a large bowl. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans; cover and let stand 8 hours. Drain.

Combine beans, broth, and next 5 ingredients (through chile) in an electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW 10 hours. Discard bay leaves. Stir in juice, salt, and cilantro and puree in a blender or food processor.

Notes:

Don't be afraid to work with dry beans. They are very forgiving if not soaked in enough water or if left in water too long. They are also much better for you and the planet than canned beans.

One pound bags of beans are sold in most grocery stores but it's much better to buy in bulk. Never one to trust the measurements on the back of the bean bag, Mom measured out a one pound bag and found that it yields 2 1/2 cups of beans.

Mom likes her soup hot as in chile hot, so she chops up two serranos instead of one, seeds and all. If the thought of even the heat of one chile is too much for you, you can either seed the chile first of use a milder pepper such as a jalapeno.

Cumin and fiery serrano chile infuse this simple soup as it cooks, and you could add a dollop of sour cream as a refreshing foil for the spicy flavors.

This is a perfect recipe for the immersion blender. Mom sometimes leaves the soup slightly chunky to give it some substance.

At 288 calories, 18.5 grams of protein, and 2.3 grams of fat this soup is the total package. It's hardy and filling, the perfect soup for a rainy day or any day.

The New Dirty Dozen

Those of you that have been reading my blog for a while remember the post I did back in March 2009 titled "Shoppers Guide To Pesticides". In the post I talked about the use of pesticides on fruits and vegetables and provided you with a link to the Environmental Working Group's (EWG) Dirty Dozen shoppers guide, a handy guide that you could print out and take to the store. If you weren't a fan back then or just don't remember the post, please click here.

The handy guide was always in Mom's purse until she got her iphone. EWG has an app so know all Mom needs to do is check her iphone and she knows which produce to buy organic and which is okay to buy conventional. Yes, you read that right. Some conventionally grown produce isn't as susceptible to pesticides as others are. But things are always changing which is why the EWG created a new Dirty Dozen list. First let's take a look at the old list.

Good old peaches topped the list of the worst of the worst, the must always avoid conventional and buy organic list. Peaches have very delicate skin and multiple pesticides are regularly applied to them in conventional orchards.

Everypug loves apples but like peaches, they are also typically grown with the use of poisons to kill a variety of pests, from fungi to insects. Even scrubbing and peeling doesn't eliminate chemical residue completely and remember, peeling a fruit or vegetable also strips away many of their beneficial nutrients.

Bell peppers have very thin skins that don't offer much of a barrier to pesticides. Plus they're often heavily sprayed with insecticides.

Coming in at number seven cherries, even locally grown ones, are not necessarily safe. Recent surveys have shown that cherries grown in the U.S. were found to have three times more pesticide residue then imported cherries.

Grapes are another fruit that is better to eat when grown domestically because only imported grapes made the list. Grapes have very thin skin and vineyards can be sprayed with different pesticides during different growth periods of the grape. Unfortunately, no amount of washing or peeling will eliminate contamination. Please remember that wine is made from grapes, so try to drink organic wine whenever it's available.

Pesticides are designed to kill living organisms, but they don't just kill pests. They are designed to be toxic so they pose real health dangers to people as well as animals. They've been linked to a whole host of health problems including cancer, nervous system toxicity, and hormone system effects. Add all that to the skin, eye and lung irritation caused by the handling and applying of these pesticides and you have a recipe for disaster. Remember, it's not just your exposure to pesticides but the thousands of farm workers that harvest your produce. You wouldn't have produce without them so think about their health as well as yours when choosing organic vs conventional.

Moving onto this year's list, you'll notice that some items have moved up, some down, and others have been removed completely from the list.

It's not hard to believe that celery is public enemy #1. It has no protective skin, which makes it almost impossible to wash off the chemicals that are used on conventional crops. There were 64 pesticides detected in residue on celery - yuk! Go organic or give up celery altogether.

Dad eats strawberries almost every day for breakfast. If Mom buys them out of season, they're most likely imported from countries that use less-stringent regulations for pesticide use. Mom was shopping at Target just the other day and noticed that the price of conventional vs organic was minimal - $2.49 for conventional vs $2.99 for organic. I know times are tough and everypug is pinching pennies but this is really a no brainer. The money you spend now will be money you don't have to spend later at the doctor.

In the mornings Dad doesn't eat strawberries for breakfast he eats blueberries which are new to the Dirty Dozen list in 2010. Can you believe they are treated with as many as 52 pesticides? They are one of the dirtiest berries on the market so organic is the only way to go.

Spinach is also new to the 2010 list. Even though Popeye probably ate conventional spinach you will want to avoid it like the plague due to the 48 different pesticides found on it. Don't let this keep you from eating your green leafy vegetables because organic is usually easy to find.

Anyone who belongs to a CSA knows that you get kale almost every week. Even though it's know as a hardier vegetable that rarely suffers from pests and disease, this year it was found to have high amounts of pesticide residue when tested this year. Why you ask? Good question.

Everypug's favorite food the potato re-appears on the list this year after being absent last year. This is one of my favorite foods because I love french fries and hash browns - yummy! I don't want any pesticides (as many as 37) in my body so maybe I'll just stop eating potatoes. Not!

One food I'm so glad that's missing from the list is the carrot. Everypug, besides my Josie Girl, loves carrots. They are one of nature's perfect foods and I eat them as much as I can. I am a little worried because even though they're not on the Dirty Dozen list they are right behind it at number 15. Because of this, I think it's wise to choose organic.

Pears are another food that's missing from the Dirty Dozen list. Though they've dropped off the list, more and more chemicals are used on them because insects have become more resilient to pesticides. This is the biggest problem with pesticides, isn't it?

I bet you're wondering about my favorite nightshade the tomato. They were on the Dirty Dozen list in 2008, on the Clean 15 in 2009, and this year are on neither. But what happened? Pesticides can still enter its thin skin so it's still best to buy organic despite its ranking.

To get a handy printable version of the guide, click here. Print it and keep it with you so there's never a doubt about what to buy. All of this food talk is making me hungry so I'm off to have some delicious organic carrots.

I Need Your Help

I need your help friends and this is one time when it really pays to be a dog that sheds. I'm sure all of you have heard about about the Gulf Coast oil spill by now but did you know that you can help with the cleanup? It's true and I'm going to tell you how.

A ruptured undersea well off Louisiana is spewing about 210,000 gallons (5,000 barrels) of crude a day into the Gulf of Mexico, and efforts to shut off the flow have been unsuccessful since the April 20 explosion that sank the drill rig Deepwater Horizon. The rig was about 50 miles off the southeast coast of Louisiana and killed 11 men. This was almost one year after I did a post about how hair is used to cleanup oil spills. All this crude is moving toward the Gulf Coast and efforts are underway to contain and clean it up. This is where you come in.

Matter of Trust is the brains behind the oil spill hair mats and hair booms. They need donations of hair, human and pet, so hair mats and hair booms can be made and used in the cleanup effort. I need all of you to go to www.matteroftrust.org and sign up to donate your hair. You can even visit your groomer and get them to donate hair.

Millions of people and animals depend on the Gulf Coast. Coastal wetland and barrier islands in Louisiana are the closest to the spill and the oil has already reached the coast as you can see from this photo. Birds and turtles have already washed ashore, presumably from the effects of the spill. Coastal areas in Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida are also at risk and are preparing for the worst. Your hair could help save animals. Animals saving animals - what a concept!

Happy Arbor Day!

Oh what a glorious day to celebrate one of Earth's greatest treasures! We live peacefully with them and depend on them so much, but we too often take them for granted. We need trees more than they need us.

A story in USA Today this week announced that a study showed the United States experienced a greater percentage of forest loss from 2000 to 2005 than did any of the other top seven most heavily forested nations. Shame on us! How could this be? Why are we killing all the trees? Read on to see what the story had to say:

The United States lost more than 46,000 square miles of forest in those years, a size roughly equivalent to the state of Pennsylvania. That's about 6% of the nation's forested land.

"That's the most of the seven countries that have over 1 million square kilometers of forest," says study lead author Matthew Hansen of South Dakota State University.

Worldwide, researchers determined that the globe lost forest cover of nearly 400,000 square miles — roughly 3% of the world's forested areas — during the first half of the last decade. The other countries in the study were Canada, Russia, China, Brazil, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The one part of the contiguous USA that experienced the most forest loss was the Southeast, a large chunk of which lost more than 10% of its forest cover from 2000 to 2005, the year for which the most recent data were available.

Hansen points out that the forest loss in the USA isn't necessarily permanent: "This does not mean that (the forests) do not regenerate, and we make no statements whatsoever about sustainability," he says. "But, compared to other regions of the world, a lot is going on."

A lot is going on is an understatement! Why all this destruction to our trees? Paper! Paper is the number one cause of forest lost. Mom remembers being in the corporate world and people talking about saving paper so that they wouldn't kill any more trees. Kill them indeed!

What's that you say? You don't use a lot of paper in your everyday life? What about all the stuff you use that's made made from paper? Americans are obsessed with stuff at every level. Just think about all the 'disposable paper' you either use on a daily basis: toilet paper, paper towels, facial tissue, newspapers, magazines, take out food container, receipts, packaging. The list just goes on and on.

Most of these items are created from virgin paper meaning a tree was cut down just for the purpose of making that item. Clearly there are products on the marketplace that use recycled paper, even post-consumer recycled. This is the paper we should be using to create consumer goods. These are the products we should be buying if we want trees on our planet. But why do we need them so much? They're just trees, right?

The most important thing trees give us is oxygen. It doesn't even seem fitting to call oxygen (O2) a thing because next to water, we need it to live. Period. Everything else is purely secondary from a biological perspective. We are totally and completely dependent on plants and trees for oxygen and they are dependent on us. But why and how?

Take a deep breath. Suck in all that fresh, clean air and then let it all out. What comes out when you exhale? Good old CO2. But wait. Where did the oxygen you breath come from?

In the carbon-oxygen exchange, or cycle as I call it, the exchange of CO2 from us to trees and of O2 from trees to us is continuous. Called respiration, the CO2 that we exhale and that trees use is as important to them as the O2 they give us to breathe. One cannot occur without the other so if we don't have trees we don't have oxygen. And that would be a problem.

In addition to the CO2 trees receive from us, they also absorb CO2 from other things, like automobiles, manufacturing, etc. It is when too much CO2 becomes trapped in the atmosphere that problems occur like they are today. One reason we are experiencing the climate changes we are is because we are cutting down trees at an alarming rate. Mom clearly remembers being in Costa Rica and watching as people clear cut the rainforest to make way for cattle ranches. Just think about that for a second. Old growth stands of trees being cut so that cows could graze on grasslands. Sounds ridiciulous, doesn't it? The same thing is happening all over the world as entire stands of forest are cut in the Amazon, Indonesia, and elsewhere. Without the trees, the world's climate problems are going to get worse.

But how many trees do we need? Clearly we don't need all the trees on Earth and even if we cut some down surely we could plant more, right? Wrong! An area of plants of about 58 square feet is needed to supply sufficient oxygen for just one person. Multiply that by 6 billion (and growing) and the figures are mind blowing. Hey wait! These figures don't even take into account the area of plants that pugs need. Keep multiplying people! Even planting new trees doesn't really fix the problem because new trees called seedlings, cannot absorb the CO2 that tall, old trees can. Replacing one with the other is not solving the problem.

But trees do even more for us than simply providing us with oxygen and absorbing CO2. Trees planted around your home can shade it, thus lowering your electricity bills because the need for air conditioning is lessened. They also slow stormwater runoff and protect the soil. By acting as natural reservoirs they protect watersheds, without which we wouldn't have clean water.

Trees clean our water and air by absorbing pollutants. Many animals call trees home, like my bird and squirrel friends, and many use tree berries as food. Where would all these animals go if they didn't have trees? I think you know the answer.

Let's not forget how beautiful and majestic trees are. What pug doesn't love to sit underneath a tree on a hot summer day and eat a Frosty Paw? Ahhh, the shade trees provide me is immeasureable. I wouldn't be able to stay outside for very long if it weren't for trees.

So on this Arbor Day, as the leaves on the trees are rustled by the gentle breeze, let's give thanks to trees everywhere. They are more important today than ever before.

I decided to give the tree in front of our house a big hug of thanks. Thank you my tree friend, for standing tall even when you were tired. For changing with the seasons despite your desire to move. For letting the mommy robins sing on your branches. And for giving me oxygen so that I may continue to live. I love you and can't imagine life without you.

Dear Mother Earth

It was a week ago today that we celebrated Earth Day. I was so excited to learn that a special outing awaited me on that glorious day. It was all I could do to contain my excitement when I learned I would be spending the day at one of your many natural forests with my family. I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate the Earth than by being outside, surrounded by your wonders and basking it its glory.

While it's okay for me to visit, I cannot leave anything behind. I will leave only footsteps, I promise.

The cool grass beneath my paws reminds me that spring is really here. I tread lightly as I go in search of all that spring has to offer.

I was taking in the many sights and smells when the wonderful scent of these beautiful little flowers pulled me off the path. I stopped to say hello to them and to welcome them back from their winter slumber. How happy they were to see me and to breath the fresh air.

I was not walking alone because I promised Dad I would show him all the beauty to be found around us in the forest. We were silent as we walked, listening only with our hearts.

Your beauty shone ever so lovely on this lake. Where would we be without water, that precious resource that gives life to everything around us? The trees around her stood tall and proud, protecting their life source.

As I walked to the shore of the lake, I reminded myself that I could not enter. The lake is home to so many of my friends, but most are still sleeping. I wanted to place a "Do Not Disturb" sign at the water's edge to let everyone know that even though the lake looks empty, it is filled with wonderful surprises.

I searched for turtles basking in the sunlight on this log, but there were none to be found. My turtle friends were out playing when I arrived and I promised myself that I would be back to visit with them soon.

Even this fisherman didn't notice me as I past him on my journey. I know he was only pretending to be fishing because I heard some of my fish friends laughing at him. They would have played the catch-and-release game with him, but they were too busy enjoying the day.

I came upon a pier and tired from my walk, decided to rest with Mom. She picked me up and placed me on the bench next to her so I would not fall. Only after we had recharged our batteries and were ready to continue did I ask Dad to take our picture. We look so happy, at home in our surroundings.

Can you see the hole in the tree? My woodpecker friends raise their babies in this hole, but they were not home today when I stopped by. I bet they were out flying all around the forest, chasing each other and having fun.

Something smelled really good at the base of these trees. I think my bunny friends had stopped by earlier in the day while they were feeding their babies. Since it was early afternoon, the babies were tucked into their warm furry beds taking their afternoon nap.

Meadows are meant for running through and that's exactly what I did when I came up this one. Run like the wind, I told my tired legs. I ran as hard and fast as I could, Mom and Dad trailing behind me. They finally caught up to me at the end of the meadow, but then I turned and ran back the way I had come, off to finish my stroll on the path.

I was slowing down by this time because I had walked so far. My legs don't work like they use to so I had to stop every now and then to catch my breath. Stopping provided me with opportunities to take in my surroundings. You never know what you might find if you just slow down.

I spotted this lovely lavender flower out of the corner of my eye. I rushed over to pick it for Mom but then remembered that the flowers belong to the forest and must remain there for everyone to enjoy. How quickly I had forgotten about that over the winter while cooped up inside.

Even this pretty dandelion spoke to me. He told me how people don't like him, how they pick him out of his home, and even spray chemicals on him. I looked at him with horror upon hearing his sad story. He is as much a part of the forest as the trees. The birds, mammals, and insects need him as much as they need water. I promised him that I would tell all my friends to respect him and his family because they are important to all of us.

I just knew one of my friends had been to the forest before I got there because this tree smelled like him. The lovely scent of a friend can brighten your day. I wondered if my friend was still in the forest or on his way back home to have an afternoon treat.

Near the end of my walk, I saw this sign that Mom read to me. It is a reminder that we must stay on the path designated for us and to not wander into the lake. We are land animals, not water animals and though our paths may cross, we live in separate worlds.

I stumbled upon a playground on my way back to the car. I pleaded with Mom to put me on the swing but she told me it wasn't safe to swing alone. I started to pout but she scooped me up and placed me on her lap. We swung higher and higher, almost to the sky. She whispered something in my ear and then kissed me on the head, thanking me for spending this wonderful day with her.

I was smiling from ear to ear because this had been the best day ever. I relished the time we got to spend enjoying your creations Mother Earth. I've been reminded of all the beauty so close to home that I can always enjoy. I promise to visit you again really soon.

I tread lightly on your loveliness as I walk with you around me. I seek your wisdom to show me things I cannot see. I speak of your beauty and feel it's touch on my body. I thank you for all that you are for I am one with you.

Your friend,

Stubby xoxo