Image: NASA

Remember when we were kids and we used to get lots more snow and cold in the winters? Remember when Lake Champlain water levels used to be lower and we would have larger beach areas? These are common questions I hear from my friends who grew up in Chittenden County, Vermont. Now there is scientific evidence to show that these are not just selective memories of the lake that covers 8,234 square miles and shares shoreline with Quebec and New York. The Nature Conservancy recently produced a 42 page peer-reviewed report, Climate Change In The Champlain Basin by J. Curt Stager and mary Thill that shows historical changes over time and predicts continuous changes in the Lake Champlain Basin ahead.

Image: glennfay49, flickr

Whether you live in Vermont or are one of the millions of tourists who enjoy the seasons, the lake is a centerpiece, a crown jewel with history and beauty. And it sustains humans and a vast ecosystem. But climatic changes underway, according to the NOAA, NASA and other organizations, will have a big impact on the way our children and grandchildren live and play.

The Nature Consrvancy used a new computer tool called ‘Climate Wizard’ to create models based on lots of data. Climate Wizard is a web-based tool developed in partnership with the Conservancy, the University of Washington and the University of Southern Mississippi, and it gives conservation practitioners and the public access to climate models and data developed by top climate scientists worldwide. Based on Climate Wizard models, the report offers moderate and extreme scenario predictions.

Here are some of the predicitions from the report:
-Lake Champlain’s water level has increased by 1 foot since the 1970s and the models predict another 1 to 2 foot rise..
-Ice cover on the lake has declined, with freeze-up occurring two weeks later, and the main lake often failed to freeze over. -Less ice and a warmer lake is predicted.
-Heavy rainfall events have increased and are expected to increase more in the coming decades.
-A moderate scenario prediction shows little change in annual precipitation, although the extreme scenario shows a 4 to 6 inch annual increase from today.
-Warmer surface temperatures overall for the state of Vermont and Champlain Valley.
-Declining drinking water quality for 200,000 people who get their water from and live in the Champlain basin
-Broadly changing habitat for many animals in wetlands and the lake ecosystem as the climate warms.
-Increase in the number of incredibly hot days during summer.
-More toxic (and even deadly) cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) in the lake as well as some invasive species, crowding out native species.
-Increased shoreline erosion and property damage.

Climate change is changing the lifestyle in the Champlain Valley and will change the way we live economically and recreationally. Would you like to read more about significant impacts and suggestions for researchers and policy makers to be proactive and plan for the future? Check out the pdf report: Climate Change in the Champlain Basin.

“Child hunger in the world’s wealthiest nation is not morally unacceptable, it costs the U.S. economy at least $28 billion per year because poorly-nourished children perform less well in school.”-Joel Berg, NYCCAH

Did you know that 81,000 Vermonters, or 12% of all households lack access to enough food to fully meet basic needs at all times due to lack of financial resources? Over 12,000 Vermont children depend on food shelves each month. Students who don’t have enough food are at greater risk for poor health, obesity, developmental delays, poor academic achievement, depression, aggressive and hyperactive behavior. (VT Campaign To End Childhood Hunger)

One of our core beliefs from the beginning has been to participate in what Vermonter Stephen Kiernan calls “authentic patriotism”. Our authentic patriotism grows from our awareness that there are thousands of people, even in a small state like Vermont, who are cold and hungry every day and every night. This affects not only quality of life, the health of our community but survival.

Vermont Foodbank is a top-shelf organization that supports thousands of hungry Vermonters every day. LoveEarthAlways has begun a partnership with Vermont Foodbank and will donate $5 from the sale of every Smart Strip advanced power strip in Vermont. That’s almost enough food to feed a family family of four for a day. Although we won’t make much of a profit selling power strips, we will be helping cold and hungry people.

If you are interested in conserving energy in your home and saving money in your pocket, please consider buying Smart Strips from LoveEarthAlways. You will be doing something about hunger in Vermont. Buy Smart Strips at this link: http://loveearthalways.com/products/smart-strip.html . Thank you from LoveEarthAlways, Vermont Foodbank and many hungry Vermonters.

Make no mistake about it. Vermont has got her green on. Spend any time outdoors and you quickly realize that there seems to be an infinite green palette this time of year. Just looking at the buds and shoots and leaves and stems, and the totality of the woods you see everything from yellowish greens to greenish yellows, green-greens, darker, brownish and even violet tinges. Then there are the wildflowers. Floral colors will be featured next week and you can also see them in previous Vermont Pictures Sunday Gallery posts.

Many photographers’ favorite light is early morning of late afternoon or evening with low sun splashing across the landscape highlighting and dramatizing subjects.

Why they call them the Green Mountains. Often the air, especially near water is hazy and offers muted tones.

I have always felt a sensuous infatuation with clouds and the sky, as if you could taste or smell their spectacular beauty.

The crisp autumn reality of Canada geese flying south in November is countered with the arrival of their v-shaped formations in spring, as they follow their ancestral migratory path to often endangered breeding habitat.

How could you not love the smell of newly mowed hay? This field was recently mowed in late May.

We hope that you enjoyed this week’s gallery. Don’t forget to take advantage of our Father’s Day 25% off sale going on now on all of our Earth-friendly products. Everything from the popular Aero Press coffee maker to green board games to photo note cards, tote bags and beeswax candles are on sale. AND we are giving away a LoveEarthAlways water bottle with each order. As always you will get free shipping with orders totaling over $100. Use code FathersDay10 when you check out.

Man’s best friend is often someone who treats you like you are king no matter how bad your day was, someone who doesn’t talk back and who is happy eating dog food.  Dogs always seem to be up for a walk outdoors and they love nature as much as you do. Finally they will protect you to the bitter end.

We have friends who live in an old farmhouse with their two kids and sheepdog, Bailey. One cold winter night he barn caught fire during the wee hours of morning and surely could have burned the house down as well. Bailey the Sheepdog ran through the house barking and awoke the family to alert them of the disaster. Fire and Rescue arrived and despite their efforts the barn burned to the ground but the house and family was saved thanks to Bailey.

Your father may not seem as heroic as Bailey the Sheepdog but Father’s Day is a perfect time to say thank you.

We have a special way to celebrate Father’s Day here at LoveEarthAlways.  All of our products from solar chargers to crank flashlights to beeswax candles to family board games to cotton toe bags are 25% off until Father’s Day Sunday June 20th. AND we are giving away our handsome LoveEarthAlways water bottles with any order. AND we offer free shipping on purchases of $100 or more. Use our coupon code FathersDay10 to get the discount when you check out.

Check out our products and buy now to get 25% off, a free water bottle and free shipping on over $100!

Image: Wikipedia Commons

When Lady Gaga speaks, people listen. What would happen if Lady Gaga, with her enormous street cred, woke up and smelled the green coffee? How would her 7 million fans on facebook react? If you know who Lady Gaga is, then you can skip the next few sentences and go to the good stuff. Gaga, the iconic androgenous American creative genious recording artist was chosen as of one the ’10 Most Fascinating People of 2009′ by Barbara Walters during Walters’ annual ABC News special. During the past couple of years she has sold a lot of music and enjoyed worldwide attention and hero-worship. In May 2010, Time magazine included Gaga in its annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world. Last night I was fortunate to see her interviewed on Larry King Live.

Image: mirror.uk.rollingstone

If you read Lady Gaga’s bio, you can’t help but be impressed by her immense creativity and talent. She talks humbly with and gratefully about her love and understanding for her fans. People who are nonconformists and not followers of the mainstream. She is at peace with herself and with her power as an icon. The ‘House of Gaga’ is a full house.

Something tells me this woman is smart enough to know her legacy can offer more than another show biz drug overdose or dysfunctional life, like so many stars who came before her. But it is not just a ‘Love Game’ or ‘Romance’ that makes her different. Gaga is not afraid of hanging it out there. She spoke at the National Equality March in 2009 and took a proclaimed her support for the LGBT movement.

So how could Lady Gaga advance the cause of  cold and hungry people (and her ‘little monsters) and help save the world from humans? The cover of the annual ‘Hot 100′ issue of Rolling Stone in May 2009, featured a semi-nude Gaga wearing only strategically placed plastic bubbles. She has six known tattoos. She could pen a new one, a LoveEathAlways logo on a prominent location to wear her green pride! We would probably approve of that use of our logo.

But she doesn’t just look cool. In lady Gaga’s words: “My goal as an artist is to funnel a pop record to a world in a very interesting way. I almost want to trick people into haning with something that is really cool with a pop song. It’s almost lie the spoonful of sugar and I’m in the medicine.” (LadyGaga.com) We like her subversive spirit!

What would Lady Gaga say about the devastation coming to the gulf? What would she think about billions of people losing water and food in the next ten years due to changes in the climate?  Does she envision her enormous power to make a significant difference in the world? What if her little monsters implored her to love the Earth?

Now here’s your chance to awaken her spirit of love and understanding work to better the world’s environment! Write on Lady Gaga’s Facebook Fan Page and tell her: Lady Gaga Go Green !

Lady Gaga’s official facebook page is here.

Healthy Homemade Pizza

Did you ever order a takeout pizza and feel like you made a bad decision? Too much money for second-rate food?

That never should happen again. You can make your own pizza in an hour that puts even high quality New York or Chicago pizza from a pizza joint to shame. Our pizza recipe uses fresh ingredients with no additives like flavor enhancers like msg, imitation cheese,  or preservatives. Just high quality ingredients and flavor.

The dough:

Mix one cup and a half of warm water with 2 tablespoons of dry yeast, a teaspoon of honey, a couple shakes of salt, two tablespoons of olive oil and let it sit until you see bubbles of yeast colonies rising (5 minutes or less). While you are doing that chop some veggies for the topping below.

When the yeast becomes active, then add a cup of white flour and stir to mix. Add more flour until the dough ball becomes powdery on the outside and it will be hard to mix in flour. Now, let the dough rise near heat until it doubles. It needs warm (not hot) heat. This can take 15 minutes to half hour. I turn on the oven (500 degrees) and the dough rises on the stove. When the dough has risen, roll it out on a clean counter on whole wheat flour, and work the whole wheat flour into the dough until it barely stops sticking to your hands or the counter. Roll into a ball, press flat into a circular shape to fit the pizza pan. When it is the desired diameter and consistent thickness peel it up off the counter and lay it out on the olive-oiled pan. I usually let it rise another 5 minutes on the pan for thicker crust.

Topping:

Half cup of leftover red pasta sauce (see my pasta spaghetti recipe).

One cup of part-skim mozzarella cheese

Choose your favorites: 1 sliced green pepper, 1/2 medium onion, 3 medium fresh mushrooms, 2 chopped sun dried tomatoes, 5 black olives, chopped garlic and any other favorite veggies. I saute’ the veggies for 5 minutes just to soften and evaporate some water before they go on the pizza but you can throw them on raw if you wish. If you want more protein, lay on some thinly sliced seitan or field roast or veggie sausage.

Spread sauce sparingly over the dough, then veggies, and cheese last. Sprinkle with oregano and parmesan/romano cheese. Bake on center rack until cheese first begins to bubble and brown or cook it the way you like it. Serve with your favorite cold beverage and a salad if you wish.

If this is your first time, I wager that that even with inexperience, it beats any pizza you have ever bought but don’t expect perfection, especially with the dough. You will improve and I would be happy to answer any questions you may have as you are learning. We like to experiment with feta cheese, different sauces and toppings. Let me know what you think!

Do you like this? Check out our other recipes from our Foodies