There is a long list of things to love about Nora Pouillon and Nora’s: the fact that Restaurant Nora became America’s first certified organic restaurant, that over 95% of everything on the menu is supplied by certified organic and biodynamic growers and producers, and that Nora initiated the very first “producer-only” farmer’s market in the nation’s capital which has grown to include eight active markets — an incredible list of achievements and acts of leadership.  

Q: Out of everything that you have accomplished, what are you most proud of?

A: Introducing organic food to the American public in the 1970s.

Q:  We know that your list of fans is just as long or even longer than your list of achievements.   When it comes to the feedback that you have received, has there been any specific person who has expressed their appreciation or type of feedback in general that makes you simply giddy?

A: Every time a guest thanks me for what I am doing with my restaurant, even after so many years, or that they love my cookbook and use it all the time or that they’ve changed their eating habits and their lives as a result—all of these remarks just make everything worth it.

Q:  We know that it might be impossible to choose, but…what is your favorite thing on the menu right now?

A: Right now, the Amish chicken breast scaloppini with housemade fettuccine, heirloom tomatoes, preserved lemon, basil, and summer squash.

Q:  What would you say is the most difficult thing about the work that you do, whether it’s the amount of time involved in making everything perfect, or the work involved in being an industry and area leader, etc.?

A: I would say the work involved in being an educator to my staff.

Q:  What made you decide to support renewable energy?  Was it an easy switch?

A: Renewable energy fits into both my personal philosophy and the philosophy of the restaurant. The idea of organic involves being environmentally conscientious not just in how the food is grown or raised, but also about the source of energy for the restaurant and how it is being used.  

Q:  Is there something about Nora or Nora’s that not many people know or ask about that you would love us to know?   We’re all ears.

A: Of course, I’m a big advocate of a sustainable lifestyle, which means healthy, organic, and balanced food, regular exercise, outdoor activities…but I also really love dancing. 

Q:  What’s up for Nora’s in the future?  Any new news or things we can look forward to hearing about or that we can be sure to tell our friends about?

A: I am currently working on my memoirs.  I also still dream about making an organic McDonald’s happen.

Speaking to PJ Kern, Catering and Sales Manager at Kababji, we learned that the restaurant is:

• Located in a LEED-certified building
• The building also has a green roof (although not for food purposes)
• Nearly all of their produce is sourced from local, organic farms in Maryland and Pennsylvania
• Kababji recycles everything that they can — from glass, to plastic, paper goods, and waste

We asked PJ why he and Kababji were interested in wind power, and here are his answers:

Q: Why do you care about global warming and clean energy solutions?

When we were presented with an opportunity to power our restaurant in a manner that is healthier for the environment, I became very excited.  Providing healthy eating choices is central to everything we do at Kababji, and being powered by wind rather than polluting carbon is one of the healthiest things we could do.

Q: Why did you think it was important to switch to renewable wind energy?

It makes sense from a fiscal and environmental standpoint.  Certainly we all need to rely less on resources that cannot be sustained indefinitely.

Q: Why did you pick Clean Currents?

Great relationship managers who we trust.

Q: What are actions in your personal or professional life have you taken to reduce your climate impact?

We encourage the use of public transit, walking or biking for ourselves and our employees.  We also strive to be vigilant about where our ingredients and business products are coming from and try to choose the greenest option wherever possible.

Check out other local wind powered companies

I don’t want to get too “preachy,” as I am the first to admit that I do not follow the perfect “climate friendly” diet.  But I do know this, when it comes to a climate friendly diet, there are two words that matter – vegetarian and local.  A new study from our friends at The Carbon War Room helps illustrate this point.

Carbon War Room’s Biodiversity Fellow, Dr. Guy Pinjuv and Interim Director of Research Matthew Cullinen are looking into the effect that increased demand for beef in Brazil is having on deforestation in the Amazon, and hence the loss of the world’s most important carbon sink. They’ve produced a lengthy report and action plan. To start, they point out some facts:

• Deforestation and agriculture (as a driver of more deforestation) are the cause of about a quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.
• 50% of global deforestation occurs in Brazil.
• 80% of Brazilian deforestation is caused by cattle ranching.
• Brazil exports $5 billion of leather and beef to the United States.

In other words, this is a huge problem, and we in the United States are contributing to making it worse.

Brazil is planning on doubling exports of cattle by 2018.

So, is there any hope to avoid destroying the Amazon and creating more greenhouse gases?

According to the Carbon War Room, the answer is yes, and they make the business case for major change. It’s not complicated. The goal is to make it economically attractive for industry to utilize  better cattle breeding methods.

The Carbon War Room plan would require an upfront investment of $21.5 billion to change the grasses cattle eat, to double the amount of cattle raised per hectare of land, and thus take away the need to clear any more forest land. This investment will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than six gigatons. The Return on Investmen (ROI) is 20% and the initial investment is paid back in only 4-6 years.

So, there’s a business case for reducing emissions and saving the rainforest. The only thing stopping the plan – inertia and lack of will.

Go to www.carbonwarroom.org for more information. In the meantime,  think about the food you eat and where it comes from. There are plenty of local farms that produce beef and chicken in a more environmentally friendly way (that is, if you can’t give up meat altogether).

With spending such a large proportion of our incomes on eating out, it would behoove us to learn more about not only what went into the food we consume but if the dining establishments we patronize are pursuing any sustainable practices.  The entire food cycle is a huge energy hog (pardon the pun).  From producing and distributing fertilizers to harvesting crops and raising animals, refrigeration, transport, and finally turning on the ovens at restaurants, the carbon-footprint of your burger (or tuna sandwich … imported from Chile) can be shockingly high.  Here’s a great graphic that shows emissions related to different foods.

That’s why Clean Currents is proud of its 85 restaurant and cafe customers – all of which have made concerted efforts at greening their operations and/or ingredient sourcing.  Full list below:

Here in the United States, we are used to cheap energy. However, many don’t know the true cost of the electrons that power their homes or the gasoline that their cars run on. One gallon of gasoline produces 19.4 pounds of CO2. This means that for approximately every 100 gallons of gasoline that one burns, (assuming a 14 gallon tank, 7 visits to the gas station), one is producing one ton of CO2 gas. The Stockholm Environment Institute estimated that there is $893 in economic damage for every ton of CO2 released into the atmosphere. Essentially, even if these estimates are slightly off, we are severely underpaying for our electricity and gasoline.

It is relatively simple, almost everyone pollutes. There are 779 cars per every 1000 people in the United States. In Europe they have implemented a carbon tax for years, and gasoline there is wildly expensive compared to the United States, but just about on par when the social and environmental costs are weighed in. A bill shot down by congress in 2009 proposed taxing carbon at $15 per ton CO2. The Carbon Tax Center predicts that setting an initial $12.50 per ton of CO2 could reduce fossil fuel usage 40% by 2025. This would also bring in $600 billion dollars of new revenue over the next 10 years, money that our government desperately needs. In other countries, money from their Carbon taxes are used in a variety of ways. In the United States it could be used to save Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare, reduce income taxes, and all the while subsidizing public transportation to make sure the costs of the tax don’t hit those in need hardest.

A carbon tax would also start to cut back on our dependance on foreign energy. Not only would it bring in money to the government and make polluters pay, it would also provide incentives for people to use and support renewable sources of energy (since carbon emitting sources would be more expensive), which would reduce our dependance on foreign oil.

The problem is simple. Our Congress will not make a carbon tax simply because private interests will not allow it. As Ralph Nader once said, “the use of solar energy has not been opened up because the oil industry does not own the sun,” and it could not be more true today. The only way to create a political opportunity that will save our economy and planet is to make renewable energy a big enough industry that it can lobby on K street with the Coal and Oil industries. We are a long way from that point, but it is a fight that we have to continue, not just for us, but for our children.

Read more at:

http://www.grist.org/politics/2011-07-28-could-a-carbon-tax-help-solve-our-budget-woes

http://sei-international.org/publications?pid=1911

This summer, Clean Currents has taken advantage of the bounty and supported local farmers in a couple of ways. First,  a number of us have joined the Norman’s Farm Market CSA . CSA stands for “community supported agriculture” and its a really great way to support local agriculture. When you sign up for a CSA, you are basically buying a share of the farm and get to take a certain mixture of the available produce from the farm on a regular basis. Our CSA pick-up is once a week at the Universities of Shady Grove where Norman’s Farm sets up a mini stand with a choice of fresh goodies. Each week,  we get to pick fruits and veggies we want to feast on for the week. We’ve had some amazing corn, zuchinni, plums, blueberries, kale and melon in the last couple of weeks.

Its also been really fun to share the creative recipes we’ve come up with during our impromptu Monday morning CSA round-up. There’s been talk (and tastings) of  garlicky-kale dip, some strawberry rhubarb bread, and a lovely zuchinni-walnut pasta.

In addition to our weekly CSA share, we’re lucky to have the Rockville farmer’s market right in our backyard every Wednesday. We’ve been stopping to pick up delicious peaches, nectarines, apples, and fresh lettuces.

On a few Wednesdays, we’ve had our own table set up to tell shoppers about how they can support wind power.  In fact, the Clean Currents team has been making our way around a number of farmer’s makets and CSA pick ups in the area including Tikvat Israel CSA,  Geneva Presbyterian CSA and the 14th & U Farmers Market.

And of course, Clean Currents loves the local food options avaialble at some of our favorite restaruants. Think Local First’s Eat Local First Week last week, which culminated in the Farm to Street Party was a great way to celebrate fresh and tasty local flavors.  Our table at the Farm to Street part got a ton of traffic (local foodies love wind power!) and we got to mingle with some of the restaurants that support wind power including: The Diner, Busboys and Poets, Eatonville and Local 16.  A staff favorite was Eatonsville’s Blueberry Lemonade – perfect on a scorching summer day! Overall the whole event was a great way to engage with other local food advocates and as our Marketing Associate, Nicole,  so eloquently put it:

“One great theme here is that food brings us closer to people, and that connection might be more important today than it ever has been”

This weekend, Clean Currents will be at the 14th & U Farmer’s Market (Saturday) and hanging out at Open City during Sunday Brunch – come stop by and say hi! And if you mention this blog post, we’ll give you a reusable bag to tote your goodies from the Farmers Market.

Consider becoming one of the Green-est businesses in Baltimore with Clean Currents and B-notes!

“Right now in this market place the best message to send out to your customers is that you are Green, Local and Sustainable, this differentiates you from the malls and the big box stores.   There really is nothing much new to say other than offering incentives such as Groupon….. though 79% of consumers would rather buy from companies doing their best to reduce their impact on the environment” – Havas Media 

Without any extra expense or output of resources Clean Currents, a local energy supplier can off-set your energy carbon footprint 100%.  We do our best to protect your bottom line in energy costs and go green without any extra expense or output of resources. This could be your message as Linganore winery suggests on these two major Baltimore TV network stations:

WBAL TV – http://www.wbaltv.com/video/27167839/detail.html WJZ TV – http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2011/03/16/md-winery-uses-wind-power/

The process is easy – check out www.Cleancurrents.com for an easy  lesson in energy 101 and how we in turn market your company for supporting renewable energy. Then give us a call or email at 410.344.5017 x719 or greenbiz@cleancurrents.com.

Switching to solar will most likely lower your electricity bill. This even takes into account the solar lease option that Solar City offers. However, you will most likely still have a electric bill, which makes wind power a great choice for going 100% green! 

The economy continues to be in a rut for most people. There’s a lot of uncertainty about future growth prospects. Many Americans are saving every penny they can to keep up with their family budget. Many are out of work, or working reduced hours, or getting lower salaries. It would be very easy for a person to jettison things that make up a green lifestyle. Buying non organic food is generally cheaper than organic food. Investments in energy efficiency, while they pay off in the long term, do require an up front investment. Buying green power is not always the cheapest option. A Prius does cost more than a Corolla.

In the political sphere, green energy seems to be at the very bottom of the priority list. The oil and gas companies seem to be making huge profits as usual, while wind projects remain on hold due to unfavorable conditions in the energy market.

Yet, we know that the planet is not waiting. We know that every day we delay is a day with more carbon in the atmosphere – carbon that takes decades to disperse. And we know that the United States economy is subject to the whims of foreign potentates that decide how much a barrel of oil should cost, whether it’s drilled here or in the Arabian Peninsula. Energy independence is one thing that all parts of the political spectrum should support. When it comes to our budget deficit, we mostly agree that we as a nation don’t want to be beholden to foreigners who hold U.S. debt. We also don’t want to mortgage our children’s future by bequeathing monumental debt to them as their inheritance. Likewise, we as a nation should not be beholden to foreigners when it comes to setting the prices we pay for energy. And we do not want to bequeath to our children a world that is not as lush, beautiful, and life sustaining as the one we inherited from our parents.

Green is here to stay. It’s  too important for our nation and our nation’s future to let it be otherwise. Being a green American means sticking with the cause through good times and bad. No Sunshine Patriots here – but people who work day in and day out to make our country greener, cleaner and more sustainable.

There are two factors that make Hawaii an energy conservationists nightmare.  First, the island archipelago is quite isolated.  Unlike the lower 48 states which are crisscrossed with railways, highways, and transmission lines, Hawaii sits almost 2,500 miles from the west coast of the US.  This means that most products (including energy) are imported and shipped long distances (which adds cost).

Second, Hawaii suffers from an acute case of energy inertia.  When the state was first admitted to the union in 1959, fossil fuel was abundant and cheap.  The US military had a large presence on the island and its distribution network was based upon gasoline and fossil fuels.  The state built upon this network and now finds itself in a tight spot.

One would think that in a place so blessed with solar, wind, ocean, and geothermal energy that energy dependence would not be an issue.  But Hawaii is over 90% dependent on fossil fuels for its total energy needs.  And unlike the mainland US (which gets around 50% of its electric energy needs from burning coal), over 75% of Hawaii’s electricity generation comes from burning oil – the majority of which is imported from foreign countries, including Indonesia, China, Vietnam, and Brunei.

The Kuokoa plan – a consortium of leading scientists and business leaders in Hawaii are pushing to change this paradigm.  Their goal is to make Hawaii fossil fuel free in 10 years, by harnessing the state’s vast geothermal potential as a baseload while building more solar, wind, and hydro renewable sources.  By pursuing such an ambitious goal, the Kuokoa plan says it will bring energy security to the state in the form of cheaper, more (price) reliable, and less environmentally damaging energy sources.  It makes sense that in a state where tourism and natural beauty are such large portions of the economy, energy should come from clean, local, and renewable sources.