Households in the United States waste an average of 14 percent of their food purchases—1.2 pounds of food per day—with an annual cost of $43 million. Some of that waste comes from packages with expired used-by dates. Some comes from produce, meats, dairy and other foods that are never used. Much of the waste results from leftover ingredients or dishes that go bad before they can be consumed or that are thrown away at the table.
If you are still wondering you how can celebrate Earth Day this year (which, by the way, was begun by Wisconsin’s own Gaylord Nelson), look no further than your kitchen. Thinking of creative, nutritious, and delicious ways to use rather than waste leftovers is something we all can do every day to help to heal and restore the environment and to avoid buying more packaged foods than necessary.
Watch some of the inspiring TED Talks on the topic A Greener Future (you can scroll through several pages of talks relevant to environmentalism). You might enjoy this one to start, by “planetwalker” John Francis. He begins: “I was silent for 17 years. And the first words that I spoke were in Washington, DC, on the 20th anniversary of Earth Day. And my family and friends had gathered there to hear me speak. And I said, “Thank you for being here.” My mother, out in the audience, she jumped up, “Hallelujah, Johnny’s talking!”
