Those little lightbulbs can make a big difference

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You may remember a few years ago when it became impossible to buy incandescent light bulbs in the U.S.  Panic spread in some quarters, with folks hoarding the old light bulbs the way my family hoarded classic coke during the new coke debacle.

Now we're about 3 years into the new lighting -- has it achieved the goal of energy conservation?  According to articles in Bloomberg news, Forbes magazine, and Lucas Davis at UC Berkeley, the answer is a resounding "yes!"Energy-efficient lighting now accounts for nearly 80% of all lighting sales in the U.S. LED lights use 85% less energy than those old incandescent bulbs.  As you'll see from the articles linked above, the decrease in energy use is significant -- significant enough that utilities are noticing a sizeable drop in energy demand.

What does this drop in demand mean for the future?  The jury is still out.  Some folks predict a bounce back effect -- we'll feel so good about saving energy, we'll just waste it somewhere else.  Some folks see an opportunity for utilities to encourage the use of electric vehicles, since we now have unused electrical capacity.  Your thoughts?

Mammal Monday -- Lemurs!

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Who doesn't love lemurs?  I just received a picture of "my lemur", Grendel who lives at the Duke Lemur Center.    Lemurs are found in the wild only on Madagascar.  They're the most endangered group of mammals and primates in the world.  Here's a great clip from CNN that explains why we care about lemurs (the question I always ask in class, "who gives a flying flit?") and why we want to learn more about them:

Abby's tabouleh!

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Time for a re-post of a great recipe!  Be sure to "like" greenmomster.org on Facebook for all the latest veggie recipes and environmental news!

This week’s recipe is a new twist on an old favorite from my neighbor Abby, scientist extraordinaire and new mom!  As any green momster (or soccer mom or hockey mom) knows, meal prep time is of the essence.  Abby shows us a way to jazz up the old box-mix tabouleh into a heftier dish that can serve as a main dish.  Thanks Abby! 

Ingredients: 
1 box of your favorite tabouleh dry mix 
2 tblsp olive oil 
1 to 2 tsp maple syrup (to taste) 
1 cup shredded carrot 
1 cup fine chopped tomato 
1 15 oz can of white navy beans 
juice from 2 small lemons 
salt and pepper to taste 

Instructions: 
1)  Prepare the tabouleh as instructed 
2)  Add all remaining ingredients to the mix 
Enjoy!

Mammal Monday -- New Zealand Sea Lions!

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Our species this week is the endemic New Zealand Sea Lion.  "Endemic" means that the species is found in only one area in the world -- this also means that the species is particularly vulnerable to extinction.  Check out these fascinating creatures and all that's being done to protect the species now that it's returned to the shores of New Zealand:

"Chick'n" on a stick!

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Be sure to "like" greenmomster on Facebook to get all the meat-free Friday recipes and other environmental news!

Sometimes you just feel like dinner on a stick, so this week's recipe is adapted from Lighten up, y'all.  Classic Southern Recipes mad Healthy and Wholesome by Virginia Willis.  I exchanged the main ingredient of chicken with a meat-free option, and it worked very nicely.  It's a family-pleasing recipe, perfect for a spring Friday!

Ingredients

• 1 tblsp coarse kosher salt
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 packages Quorn chic'n tenders, defrosted
• 2 cups panko bread crumbs
• 2 tblsp canola oil
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 tblsp dijon mustard
• black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine salt, 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp onion powder, and 1/2 tsp garlic powder.  Add buttermilk and mix thoroughly.
3. Add the chik'n tenders and marinate for 30 minutes (don't let it go too much longer)
4. In a flat plate, combine the breadcrumbs and remaining paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder.  Add the 2 tblsp of oil and mix.  In a separate bowl, combine egg whites and mustard.
5. Take the chik'n tenders out of the marinade and put on skewers.
6. Dip the skewers into the egg mixture and then roll in the breadcrumb mixture.  
7. Place on a rack and bake for about 25 minutes, rotating halfway through.  

Enjoy!

Waking up President Trump

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Last weekend was the big #PeoplesClimateMarch, and I just finished reading Trevor Noah's book, Born a Crime (pretty good read, by the way).  So I figured those two events are a sign that I should post Trevor Noah's latest piece on climate change.  Enjoy: