Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Eat your rhetoric - maybe someone will believe you

I am in a mood these days - but here we go another entry full of constructive criticism.

We are members of the Zoo. Love the Zoo. It is a killer Zoo. A few weeks ago we did a breakfast with the keeper event and then took in the newer exhibit - Asia Quest. The central focus of part of that exhibit is green practices and buying locally produced products and locally grown food. (Breakfast was donuts, frozen fruit, single serve bowls of cereal - ect. Lots of waste I might say.)

So I looked around the zoo and well they are doing none of those things. It is frozen pizza and hot dogs and french fried and soda. Bottled water and some sort of dots ice cream (which so says processed to me.) Served on disposable plates and I did not see any recycling cans - or at least not very many or not screaming green anyway.

So I contacted the zoo via their web page. Pointing this out and suggesting that perhaps they should live the rhetoric. How about having Whole Foods come in and have fruit cups or fruit kabobs. Whole bananas anyone. Dipped in chocolate optional. How about apple slices with a side of Krema nut butter. (Krema is local here in Dublin.) I will say they serve Grater's ice cream - which is made in Ohio - locally so that is a start.

How about hosting a farmers market during the summer months. Give local farmers a place to sell and promote their enterprise.

Looking around Zoombezi Bay and the Zoo - there is next to nothing for me to eat. Next to nothing healthy. I know the "fair" food sells well - but sometimes being an instrument for change takes time and I gotta tell ya - Whole Foods is busy busy busy - as is the North Market and Northstar Cafe. All those places are focused on healthy and nourishing food.

It makes such sense - clean up the food offering - which is good for the environment and good for everyone's long term health.

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