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Putting on a green party

Globe and Mail Update

Latest comment posted at 2:46 PM EST 30/10/08

Eco-entertaining is a feel-good way to keep the home fires burning ...Read the full article

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  1. Bad Lady from Canada writes: I would never expect people to be vegan, and I do think that a party is the perfect place for treats (like duck and cheese), but I think it would have been nice to see a vegan dish pictured (just one!). Eating mostly plant foods is the single biggest thing you can do to reduce the environmental impact of your food. It's just a fact -if you don't believe me, check with the UN FAO.

    Before you object, I am not some kind of hardcore vegetarian activist. I love meat and dairy, and if mass consumption of it wasn't a major contributor to environmental degradation I would be gnawing on a medium rare steak with a side of Roquefort as I write this. As it is, I now save those foods for special occasions. It's healthier anyway.

    If we all had just one plant based meal a week (or one canape per cocktail party) we'd be making a significant difference.
  2. Susan Rogan from Canada writes: I loved the Greenhouse guy's statement, "... because in the big picture, as experiences replace physical goods, it's good for the environment and better for our psyche."

    Yes! Experiences replacing consumption to give happiness.

    Sounds like all these people are on to something.
  3. Susan Rogan from Canada writes: PS - I agree with Bad Lady about 'eat no meat', or less meat. Diet For a New America by John Robbins was my turning point book 20 years ago.

    The main thing for me is to not pay into the farm industry which treats farm animals horribly. The cruelty to the animals such as battery (caged egg) hens, and pigs, is just sickening and so unneccessary.

    My second consideration is the damage that a meat based diet does to the environment and to poor nations' ability to feed themselves. We are eating the food off their plates and destroying forests and waterways to eat like we do.

    My last consideration is the benefit to my health from eating a plant based diet judiciously and lightly sprinkled with dead animals.
  4. Randal Oulton from Toronto, Canada writes: Gag. These people are doing 1/8th of what the church ladies did, and billing $500 bucks an hour for it.
  5. Arec Bardwin from Upper Canada, Canada writes: A couple suggestions for your "green party."

    -Charge a carbon tax at the door.

    -If someone drives to your house for the party pistol whip them with a nice bottle of Pinot Noir. It's for their own good.

    -Offer dairy free, gluten free, soy free, vegan, slightly congealed white cheese food.

    -Offer fair trade coffee. (Don't worry about the CO2 to get it here; You're worth it.)

    -If some insolent prude turns on a light; beat them with reeds.

    -Grasshoppers are plentiful and tasty when deep fried.

  6. Dale Brown from Victoria, Canada writes: "Vasil notes that enviro-hosts motivated solely by one-upmanship are still doing more good than harm. "No matter what reason you're doing it for, if you're taking small steps, then you're making an impact."

    Plus, a green party is an opportunity to share a belief system without getting too evangelical. "Hopefully, there's a bit of a message that gets carried on. And really, that's how the whole environmental movement has taken off to date; you think you're just one person changing your light bulb but it's actually happening across the country," she says."

    Actually this kind of green-ness is worse than nothing. The only kind of green that we are witnessing here, is the green of money. Frivolous, silly people with far too much money. It allows these people to salve their conscience, end of story.
  7. Mark Tilley from Brampton, Canada writes:

    I second Susan Rogan's pointing out the closing statement about "Experiences replacing consumption to give happiness."

    It reminds me of a column in Road & Track magazine (of all places) back in the '80's where the columnist (using an example entirely out of keeping otherwise with the theme of this article) points out that "doing is better than having".
  8. a salajan from To, Canada writes: Dale Brown from Victoria, Canada writes: The only kind of green that we are witnessing here, is the green of money. Frivolous, silly people with far too much money.

    You nailed it.

    The lifestyle articles in globe, especially those on wine and food never cease to amase me with their lack of deep knowledge on the subject.

    For example: One of the "green" dishes show here was some skeweres with cheese, beet and tomatoes. Not any tomatoes. "late harvest" organic tomatoes. Huh? Late harvest? Do these people know anything about growing tomatoes? Tomatoes ripe on the vine throughout summer and fall until frost. If days are warm and protect the plants at night you can have tomatoes even after the first frosts (like last night). I picked some yesterday.

    Tomatoes are not grapes to leave on the vine for late harvest.
  9. guy tozer from Saskatoon, Canada writes: Just another pathetic fad, for yuppie crowds.
  10. Alisa Davis from Toronto, Canada writes: Let's throw away all our plastic plates and steak and go out and BUY BUY BUY more "green" products. Just another buzzword to make yuppies feel better about their relentless need to consume.
  11. Tom Paine from Canada is Sick, writes: I feel like vomiting bunker C oil at someone's green party.
  12. Katherine R from Canada writes: What an obnoxious trend. Sure, I agree with it on one level, but having been a vegetarian for nearly 20 years, I want to puke up my salad at the pretentiousness and creepy sense of smug self-righteousness of these idiotic party hosts.

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