And the winners are...

Results are in for the ASI student government positions. See the Golden Gate Xpress article here: http://www.goldengatexpress.org/2014/04/12/student-government-election-results-announced/

President: Kenneth Collins
Vice President of Internal Affairs: Sara Padash
Vice President of External Affairs: Naeemah Charles
Vice President of Finance: Ramon Gonzalez
Vice President of University Affairs: Virginia McBride
First Representative at Large: Phoebe Dye
Second Representative at Large: Kai Santiago
Third Representative at Large: Sharlana Turner
Graduate Representative: Omar Romero
Senior Representative: Horst Carreno-Bauer
Junior Representative: Sarah Pishny
Sophomore Representative: Ismail Muhammad
Business Representative: Itzel Centeno
College of Education Representative: Linda Duncan
College of Ethnic Studies Representative: Luis De Paz
College of Health and Social Sciences: Kayla Tolentin
Liberal and Creative Arts Representative: Celia Gonzalez
College of Science and Engineering Representative: Samuel Boikaner.

Sweet Ride

Tonight is our opening reception for our bike-themed art exhibit, Sweet Ride. Come by for refreshments and a chance to win 2 amazing bikes we're raffling off at 7:30pm. See you there!

Earth Month!

Why stop at Earth Day when you can have an Earth Month?? Sustainable Initiatives, along with other campus organizations, has put together an array of events in April. Check them out! We are doing exciting things like a denim giveaway, Fair-Trade coffee tasting, bike themed art show, and more! Go green or go home!

Cooking With Sharon: Part Deux

Our sustainable leading lady is back again! This week, Sharon will be cooking up an amazing vegan dish with the most under-loved vegetable of them all: Brussels Sprouts. For some reason, common thought is that Brussels Sprouts taste horrible, and that children especially won't eat them. We're here to break those stereotypes with a delicious recipe no one can resist!

Sweet Chili Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:
1/2-1 lb Brussels Sprouts
1/2 onion, diced
3-6 garlic cloves
1/2 inch piece of ginger
2-3 tablespoons of sweet chili sauce
2-3 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sesame seeds for garnish
Pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Remove stems and wash Brussels Sprouts. Slice into halves. Mince the garlic and ginger. Dice onion.
2. Turn on stove. Heat olive oil in pan on medium heat
3. Add garlic and ginger and cook for 30-45 seconds. Add onions and sautee for 7-9 minutes or until translucent.
4. Toss in Brussels Sprouts and cook for 10-15 minutes or until they are nice and brown and slightly charred.
5. Add the sweet chili sauce and soy sauce and sautee for 1-2 minutes
6. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and black pepper
7. Serve with pasta, rice or lentils.

Watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MldAyU7MBvY

Food Waste in America

The United States is the 3rd most populous country in the world, behind China and India. With over 2.2 million farms covering an area of 922 million acres, No one in this country should ever go hungry. However, the data around food waste in America is astonishing. Getting food from the farm to our fork eats up 10 percent of the total U.S. energy budget, uses 50% of U.S. land, and uses 80% of all fresh water consumed in the United States. Yet, 40% of food in the United States today goes uneaten. This not only means that Americans are literally throwing out $165 billion each year, but also that the uneaten food ends up rotting in landfills as the single largest component of U.S. municipal solid waste, producing the majority of our methane gas pollution.
 Reducing food losses by just 15% would be enough food to feed more than 25 million Americans. Current figures estimate that 1 in 6 Americans lack a secure supply of food for their tables. Increasing the efficiency of our food system is a sustainable solution that requires collaborative efforts by businesses, governments and  most importantly, YOU the consumer. Consumers can waste less food by shopping wisely, knowing when food goes bad, buying produce that is perfectly edible even if it’s less cosmetically attractive, cooking only the amount of food they need, and eating their leftovers. Pay it forward by donating goods and/or volunteer time to local food banks, charitable organizations and homeless shelters. Waste not!

Cooking with Sharon, Part 1

Our amazing Sustainability Strategist, Sharon Daraphonhdeth, shows us how it's done in the kitchen! An advocate of sustainable, healthy eating, she is putting together a cooking video series which features in-season, sustainable, vegan dishes. Enjoy!

Cooking with Kale

Ingredients:

1 bunch of kale 

1-2 tablespoons of olive oil 

3-4 bunches of garlic 

¼ onion diced 

1 lemon 

salt & pepper to taste 

Mmmmm kale! Kale is one of new favorite vegetables trends. What’s great about kale is that it grows easily in the bay area and is very easy to take care of. Here’s my recipe for a simple way to cook some kale in less than 15 minutes:

Heat up olive oil in a medium sized pan. Sauté garlic for 15-30 seconds or until the garlic aroma releases. Throw in the onions until translucent, about 5-6 minutes. Toss in the kale and mix together. Cook until kale is soft. Turn off heat and squeeze about half a lemon or a whole lemon depending on taste and mix. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with grains, salad, or bread. 

Watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLEcpBs9Fqc

You Are What You Eat

When it comes to sustainability, one of the greatest impacts we have is what we choose to eat. Here are some easy (and yummy!) ways to eat healthy and sustainably:

Eat Low on the Food Chain!
Eating low on the food chain means that less energy goes into producing your food, increasing your sustainability. Think about it, the water and energy that goes into producing grains is exponentially increased to produce meat. The EPA estimates that it takes ~2,500 gallons of water to produce a single pound of beef, whereas it only takes about ~26 gallons of water to produce a pound of wheat. And it's not just about input, but also output. The production of any food has a waste output associated with it, and just like energy input, that figure decreases the lower you are on the food chain.

Eat Local!
One of the best things you can do to reduce your environmental footprint is to eat local. The further your food has to travel to get to you, the more energy it consumes and pollution it produces. Here in California, we are fortunate enough to have amazing climates and nutritious soils which can produce just about anything. Farmers' markets happen in almost every city in the Golden State, and not only are you more sustainable by choosing farmers' markets, but also contributing money to the local economy, which benefits everyone. Plus, food prices at farmers' markets are considerably lower than at corporate stores, making your dollar go further for better quality. It's a win-win situation! With the consumer demand for sustainable produce, more and more big chain stores like Safeway are even offering locally sourced food. Make sure to use your consumer power to "vote" for the products you want, and companies will supply them!

Eat What's in Season!

Ever buy strawberries in the wintertime? They look red and ripe but once you take a bite, they are sour and flavorless. Foods grown in-season consume a lot less production energy than when they are grown out of season, and they taste much better, too! CUESA (the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture) has a great website which provides a list of in-season foods, where you can buy them, and delicious recipes! Go to http://www.cuesa.org/eat-seasonally to check it out. 

Eat smarter, eat healthier and eat sustainably!