No, this isn’t about football. It is about saving lives and buildings in a wildfire—major factors in sustainability. My wife called the Moraga-Orinda Fire District (MOFD) and asked for a home wildfire preparedness inspection. She knew from others th
Foraging has been an integral activity of human culture for thousands of years. Early hunter-gatherers fished, hunted, and gathered wild plants long before the agricultural domestication of crops and livestock. Today, people replicate this ancient pr
Contra Costa County’s Sustainability Commission is looking for new members! The Sustainability Commission helps the County improve the health and safety of everyone who lives and works here. The Commission provides advice on how to deliver programs t
Perhaps your home, or a room within your home, is heated by an older fossil-fuel burning (e.g. natural gas) space heating system – or an old electric resistance heater. The modern way to heat homes is with heat pumps – which always provide space cool
In a fast-paced world fueled by instant gratification and a constant stream of new trends and products, it’s easy to forget the value of just keeping what we have. But there’s a growing movement promoting a shift away from our throwaway culture. We'
Read more…Salt is a historically significant commodity that is essential to human life. Humans have used salt for thousands of years to preserve and flavor food, and there are many modern industrial applications of salt such as de-icing roads or adding it to
Read more…Compassion is a hard sell! The word comes from the Latin and means "suffer with." Developing a compassionate heart takes time, practice, and patience, another word rooted in suffering. But compassion is essential to the work of sustainable living.
Nu
Read more…While shopping in the produce section of your local grocery store, you might hear a piped-in storm sound and then see misters spraying the shelves of vegetables with something. Pre-cut fruit like mango and watermelon are likewise sprayed before being
With the holiday season upon us, we’ll have more opportunities to enjoy home cooked meals with family and friends. For this holiday cooking season, why not make a shift towards more plant-based options? It’s worth reflecting how eating more sustainab
Read more…There are many decluttering philosophies out there, and Swedish death cleaning is one of the new kids on the block. In her New York Times bestselling book The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, artist Margareta Magnusson takes a different approac
Read more…Autonomous vehicles are here. Major car manufacturers like Ford and BMW have been developing self-driving cars for a decade. But how will having more AVs on the road affect the climate? Will it reduce or increase fossil fuel use? Here are some consid
By Dr. Laurine Grere Osborne, Expert in Responsible Fashion and Product Development
As the holiday shopping season approaches, Black Friday and Cyber Monday bring an onslaught of deals, especially in fashion. Yet the genuine cost of clothing is rare
Read more…Sustainable Contra Costa (SCOCO) is a 501c3 nonprofit that educates, connects and inspires Contra Costa individuals and organizations to embrace a sustainable lifestyle. We are a community of citizens, educators, innovators, and organizations workin
Read more…Chef Cindy's Vegetarian Chili
6 servings | 6 porciones
24 ounces cooked beans (kidney, garbanzo, black); if canned, drain and rinse | 24 onzas de frijoles cocidos (rojos, garbanzos, negros); si están enlatados, escúrralos y
Read more…Every few years Californians vote on bond measures to fund infrastructure projects and schools, fight homelessness, provide affordable mental health services, and other programs. With concern about climate change top of mind these days, Proposition 4
In October we not only welcome fall, but we begin to adjust to cooler temperatures, the leaves begin to turn beautiful colors, everything is all of a sudden pumpkin spice and cinnamon-flavored, and we prepare for Halloween. Living in Northern Califor
Read more…Photo by Marek Studzinski on Unsplash
In Hitchcock’s suspense masterpiece Notorious, Nazi villain Claude Rains discovers his wife, Ingrid Bergman, is an undercover agent and plots to kill her without detection by gradually poisoning her coffee.
When we
Read more…4 servings | 4 porciones
1 pound boneless, skinless thigh meat | 1 libra de carne de muslo deshuesada y sin piel
1 lemon (zest then chop) | 1 limón (rallarlo y luego picarlo)
¼ cup fresh chopped rosemary (2 tablespoons dry)
Read more…1 serving | 1 porción
4½ ounces uncooked salmon | 2 cucharadas de aceite (de aguacate o de oliva)
Spritz of avocado oil or hint of butter | 1 libra de pavo molido
Sprinkle of salt | 1 taza de zanahorias, apio y cebolla en
Read more…4 servings | 4 porciones
2 bunches dinosaur kale | 2 manojos de kale dinosaurio
4 cups spinach, romaine, or field greens | 4 tazas de espinaca, lechuga romana o verduras de hoja verde
1 small to medium avocado, cut in chunk
Read more…