San Diego, it’s turkey time! That special Thursday in November when all Americans gather with those whose company they enjoy the most. And a big ‘ol meal. Thanksgiving, hands down my favorite holiday of all time.
As a Coastkeeper, I’d like to assume the duty of reminding San Diegans that Thanksgiving dinners don’t necessarily have to leave a long-lasting impact on our environment.
This is obviously a holiday based around eating. Organic, locally sourced items are a terrific way to ring in this year’s Day of the Bird. Locavore, Cherri Megasko, outlines how we can stick to the script of the ‘100 Mile Diet’ here in San Diego. She offers a list of Certified Farmers Markets for stocking your re-usable grocery bags.
Furthermore, while sitting back to watch the NFL’s lineup of smash hits tomorrow, do it with some tasty local beers. Why wait until desert to get your pumpkin fix? Stone just recently introduced a blend brewed with pumpkins grown on their farm. For me, the Double Bastard Ale will do just fine.
The ability to deep fry a turkey is up there with some of the greatest accomplishments in world history. Unfortunately this great feat of man comes with a downside; the waste created by the process is a great harm to our coastal environment. Coastkeeper’s very own Jen Kovecses outlines how we can deep fry our birds and properly dispose of the grease so that it doesn’t harm our coastline.
For those of us not eating Thanksgiving dinner at Medieval Times, utensils are also an important factor. Sure the disposable variety save on cleanup time but they add a tremendous amount of waste to landfills. Use your standard plates and knives. Or if the size of your party is just too great to go this route, LetsGoGreen.biz offers a full variety of compostable utensils.
As the food coma lifts and turns into Black Friday, we can also shop sustainably (although our wallets may disagree). Check out deep discounts online or even wait for Cyber Monday. This will cut down on waiting at the checkout line. It’ll also keep some gas inside the pumps. If partaking in Black Friday is a must, walking or taking public transit to Horton Plaza or Fashion Valley are sustainable means of commuting.
There’s so much to celebrate and be thankful for this season. Living in San Diego is right up there on that list. Let’s all incorporate some sustainable measures into our holiday to give a nod to this wonderful place we call home.
Season’s Feastings!
