Lorax Community

Juicy June has finally arrived, and so has our latest publication of the long-awaited 4 Seasons Zine! 
  In this issue you will find loads of tips, tricks, and random inspiration for juicing, blended drinks, and some of our most loved recipes for plant-based delights made using various related methods.

It is with great enthusiasm that we invite and encourage all to participate along with us all month via social media and the Vegan DIY blog on Tumblr.
 Each day in June we will follow and respond to questions, images, original recipes, and topical tips bearing the hashtags #JuicyJune, #LoraxCommunity, & #4SeasonsZine to the attention of @LoraxCommunity & @VeganDIY managers via Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, & Tumblr.

To order your physical copy, please snail mail payment to the following address:

...along with suggested donation of USD $10. 

All orders placed for hard copies of the zine also include a digital PDF copy that will be emailed to you, and will also enter you into a drawing for some nice prizes kindly donated by our sponsors.

Native tribes of North America are very nearly lost entirely, largely due to rapid spread of imperialism and corporate consumerism. Sadly, indigenous people of Bolivia are facing a similar plight thanks to a popular "health food" fad.

 Quinoa Grain: 

• Prices are at an all-time high, as foodies around the world seem to have developed a taste for this 'miracle grain of the Andes.'
• In Lima (Peru), quinoa now sells at a higher price per pound than flesh foods, other animal-derived products, and far less healthful hybrid/modified grains.
• Once a nourishing staple for the insolvent peoples of Peru and Bolivia, this protein-rich grain is now far too expensive for them to afford to feed their families.
• As demand continues to rise, pressure is on to transform a once diverse variety of crops into quinoa monoculture.

 If you must use quinoa, please be sure to buy from truly sustainable sources in locations other than the Andes. We recently learned of quinoa production in Canada, and are continuing our quest to become better informed about alternative resources for this seed grain. Until a time when better resources become quite common, we are more than happy to stick with buckwheat and other healthful foodstuffs grown on U.S. soil which easily suit similar purposes.

Please continue to learn about this issue by taking a moment to read through these related articles:

via Mother Jones - Quinoa: Good, Evil, or Just Really Complicated?
via The Guardian - Can vegans stomach the unpalatable truth about quinoa?

I don't know if I have ever shared this little known fact, but I am a Lover of poetry. From John Agard, to Edgar Allen Poe; from Andrea Gibson to Gwendolyn Brook; I Love Poetry. Yes I certainly have a Love for metaphors, alliteration, and so when I discover that a poet is also an animal activist, or that an animal activist is also a poet, I am often filled with a sense of joy-- unless the poet is absolutely terrible (I jest, sort of).

In my most recent adventures within the world of spoken word I discovered the poet activist Benjamin Zephaniah, a British poet of epic proportions. I had discovered this poet while I was reading about various Black British authors and their plight (discrimination, loss of identity, marginalization) within Britain. From my limited research, I have observed that Zephaniah's poetry, although cultural, also deals with social and political themes.Within the realm of poetry, each poet tackles these topics differently; in essence utilizing his or her own background to communicate a particular pespective.

Another notable poet, this one from the states, is Saul Williams-- a vegetarian. The first video that I saw of this poet blew me the funk out of the water! Seriously. Not only was he quick with his verse but he was also articulate and theatrical. After watching his Def Jam Poetry performance, I quickly sought out his other performances to see if he was just as animate off of HBO. He was but that wasn't the kicker. The surprise has came while I was watching a video of a discussion he led in Tacoma, Washington. Whatever his current dietary makeup is, I am glad that he did this video , in which is powerfully states "What you read is your diet...what you listen to; what you allow to be talked about is your diet." In short, both of these artists demonstrate the artistic capabilities that can achieved when one mindful of one's diet.


Oceans of Love to incarcerated vegans, vegetarians, and raw foodists.

How many of your plastic kitchen tools and other everyday items of convenience are free of Bisphenol-a (aka "BPA")?

Recent studies are now revealing just how harmful plastics can be to our health. BPA has been proven to leech out of plastic containers (bottles, etc.) into drinking water and food, eventually finding its way into our bodies and biological environment. Exposure to heat causes these chemicals to leech into contents at an even faster rate, thus creating more of a health hazard when these containers are exposed to sun or high temperatures whilst in transit or when heated for consumption. Cutting boards are even more harmful, as chopping can easily damage the cutting surface and incorporate tiny fragments of toxic chemicals (including BPA) into food.

As such, BPA free products have been gaining much popularity due to the release of evidence that BPA can lead to many health issues including reproductive health problems and several types of cancer.
However, is elimination of BPA really going to solve any of the most harrowing issues in relation to production of plastics and their long-term effects on the ecosystem in general?
Please take a moment to consider other important factors:

•  What other potentially toxic and environmentally destructive chemicals may be lurking within the compounds of plastic, even after BPA has been eliminated from the manufacturing process? One company is going to trial over this matter, as others are sure to follow.
• Where will these products end up after they are no longer useful to us? 
• Even when recycled, there are various barriers which prevent the vast majority of plastics from being reused indefinitely - Will they then be cast into the abyss of refuse?
• Most "biodegradable" & "compostable" plastic items widely available on the market at present are made from GM corn, which is also detrimental to biological & environmental health. 

Fact of the matter remains that plastic of any kind is a compound of chemicals which is not only damaging to biological health, but also completely NON-biodegradable. As such, these items will likely end up in landfills for an eternity, or (more likely) toxifying our oceans and wildlife. There are also many sanitation departments which still make practice of burning non-biodegradable trash, which also releases toxins into the environment thus polluting the air we must breathe. Any way you slice it, plastics are damaging to our ecosystem and manufacturing of such should be greatly reduced - or eliminated entirely.

Consumers have the power to make positive changes to current systems, thus making things better for our environment and future generations. Please consider some of the numerous alternatives available for those of us who truly care enough to make responsible choices. Many alternatives could easily become mainstream (and very affordable to everyone) if enough consumers were to make demands for such.
- For kitchen use (and ongoing re-use), we recommend glass bottles/jars, storage containers, drinking straws, cutting boards, etc. in lieu of plastics. Silicone can also be used as a lightweight, non-breakable option for those of us who may be concerned about breakage.
- For commercial use, hemp & coconut packaging are readily available resources, and could easily be incorporated into production methods for many pre-packaged items and various everyday commodities.

Freedom of choice can be a marvellous thing, especially when those of us who excercise this freedom are willing to do so mindfully - and with care.


We thank you for having taken the time to read and acknowledge these imperatively vital issues, and ask that you please share this post widely. 



Additional references: 

1. Care2 - "How Safe Are BPA-Free Plastics?"
2. Science Daily - Plastic Bottles Release Potentially Harmful Chemicals After Contact With Hot Liquids
3. MedicineNet - Plastic Types, Dangers of Bisphenol-A and Recycling Plastics
4. Natural Society - Bottled Water Leeches 24,000 Chemicals into Your Body, Study Finds
   

Yes, there is something about warm weather, sunshine and fruit that just screams summer lovin'. In combination these elements are a trinity of Earthly goodness. Today I would like to share a part of that Earthly goodness through this video "Juicy June/July." There are a few ingredients that used and an emphasis on making enough to freeze and save (or perhaps savor) later. In any case I do hope that you enjoy this delicious drink recipe.

*The recipe calls for Kombucha, but could potentially be substituted for 50ml of apple cider vinegar. I recognize that the fermented drink is not accessible everywhere and thus recommend the apple cider vinegar as a substitute.

Many of our gardens have already become inundated with herbs, flowers, and even the beginnings of fruit! Due to our penchant for creating an overabundance of herbs at every turn, some of us are really getting into this helpful, yet inexpensively priced book collection.

Here is an excerpt:

"Because not all herbs grow all year round, it can be of interest to preserve them.
When drying herbs it is important not to dry them in the sunlight as the sun can burn away many of the volatile oils.
To dry herbs perfectly, one needs special equipment yet some can be done at home. Best not to delay too much when drying, begin the drying process when the herbs are freshly picked and placed in a drying cupboard. Make sure you clean the herbs first so they are ready to be packaged and used. Glass is the best storage method for herbs."